Oleksandr M. Yefimchuk (Yefim)

Oleksandr Mykhailovych Yefimchuk was born on May 15, 1994, in the village of Peredily Rivne district of Rivne region. When he was in school, his mother passed away... But Sashko managed to pull himself together, studied well, and then independently enrolled in the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute for state-funded education. Sashko had golden hands. He left his studies and went to find a job that suited him. He worked in a car repair shop and loved his work so much that it was hard to say whether it was a job or a hobby for him. People came to him for advice from Kyiv, Odesa, and Vinnytsia. He found his happiness in the capital—here he married Natalia, and here they decided to build their family nest. Cheerful, optimistic, and positive. Even in the most difficult moments, he always recalled numerous jokes or funny stories to lift his friends' spirits when it seemed completely inappropriate... When the war came, Sashko joined the territorial defense of Kyiv. He had no thoughts of sitting idle. He was eager to defend because he had some military experience and wanted to show others, at least teach them the basics. Oleksandr signed a contract with the National Guard of Ukraine. He held the position of senior mechanic-driver of the 2nd battalion of operational purpose (on armored personnel carriers) of military unit 3018 of the National Guard of Ukraine. On May 5, 2022, Russian occupation forces once again attacked the city of Rubizhne in the Luhansk region for further advancement towards the city of Lyman. At 6:00 AM, the enemy began a massive assault on the city under the cover of "Grad" multiple rocket launcher systems. Oleksandr Yefimchuk, as a mechanic-driver of the armored personnel carrier crew, received a service-combat mission—to travel with a comrade towards the city of Lyman in the Luhansk region to strengthen the positions of the battalion tactical group and to conduct a cleanup of the liberated fortifications alongside the infantry. Skillfully maneuvering, Oleksandr allowed the crew to force the militants out of their positions, inflicting significant losses on them in personnel and equipment. At 9:40 AM, during the resupply of ammunition and the landing of guards at the firing positions of the battalion tactical group of military unit 3018, Oleksandr Yefimchuk heard the characteristic sound of enemy artillery fire directed at the positions of the Ukrainian defenders. The guard instantly pushed his comrade into cover and shielded him with his own body. At that moment, an enemy shell hit the position where the servicemen were located, resulting in Oleksandr sustaining severe shrapnel wounds incompatible with life. On April 12, 2022, the hero was buried with military honors at the cemetery in his native village of Peredily in Rivne region. For his conscientious performance of official duties, loyalty to the military oath and the Ukrainian people, exemplary execution of service-combat tasks, personal courage, and bravery in difficult conditions threatening life and health, senior soldier Yefimchuk Oleksandr Mykhailovych was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree.