Oleksandr O. Knysh

Born on October 6, 1982, in the village of Levkiv, Zhytomyr district, Zhytomyr region. In 2000, he graduated from secondary school No. 30 in the city of Zhytomyr. In October 2000, he was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine for compulsory military service. He served in the 1st Brigade of Army Aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military unit A2128, city of Berdychiv, Zhytomyr region - disbanded in 2004). After completing his compulsory service, he continued to serve under contract. Since 2003, he served under contract in the 72nd Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military unit A2167, city of Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region). In 2003 and 2004, he participated in UN peacekeeping missions in Iraq. Since 2007, he served under contract in the 95th Separate Airborne Brigade of the High Mobility Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military unit A1910, city of Zhytomyr). Since April 23, 2014, he participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. On July 28, 2014, during an operation by a battalion tactical group to eliminate militants near the village of Dibrivka in the Shakhtarsk district of Donetsk region, Senior Sergeant Knysh sustained a fatal shrapnel wound. He was buried on August 1, 2014, in the cemetery of the village of Levkiv.