Oleksandr O. Kudin

Soldier Oleksandr Kudin was killed on April 9, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Novobakhmutivka in the Donetsk region. Together with his comrades-in-arms, he had to hold back and repel the attack of the occupiers. During the battle, the enemy inflicted massive artillery shelling on the positions of the Ukrainian defenders. The fighter received severe injuries incompatible with life. He was forever 54 years old. Oleksandr was born in the village of Poliske, Kyiv region. In 1984, he graduated from Chornobyl Secondary School No. 2, and later entered Kyiv Vocational School No. 41, where he mastered the profession of an electrician. The defender's mother, Inna Mefodiyivna, said that her son strived to help her in everything, to learn something new, and had a remarkable talent for repairing bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. In 1986, he was drafted into the army and served in one of the construction units. After demobilization, he continued to develop in his favorite field. His hobby was cycling: he could disassemble and reassemble any bicycle, often creating his own models. He wanted to travel around Ukraine by bicycle and gradually realized this dream. Comrades recall that Oleksandr had plans to visit all the interesting places, and the first on the list after the war was Lysahora in the Illinets district of Vinnytsia region. When the full-scale invasion began, Oleksandr was one of the first to take up arms, and on February 26, 2022, he joined one of the air force brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, serving as a shooter. Comrades called Oleksandr a "walking encyclopedia" for his high level of knowledge on various issues. He never refused to help anyone. "He is a hero... Calm and reasonable, he worked with his head. He cared about his family and helped everyone who needed it. He faithfully and devotedly fulfilled his duty to the state... He told me: 'I have been in service for a long time. Whom have I protected? Whom? I want to drive these damned Russians out of our land, I want to make my contribution to our Victory. Then I will have peace of mind, then I will come to you,'" the mother of the fallen soldier said. The defender was buried on April 13, 2023, in the village of Lisovi Hrynivtsi, Khmilnytskyi region. Oleksandr is survived by his mother, two sisters, and nephews.