Oleksandr O. Kurii (Santos)

Soldier Oleksandr Kurii (call sign Santos) was killed on July 24, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. The defender was 25 years old. Oleksandr was a native of Lviv. He studied at Lyceum No. 2. Then he obtained the profession of a drywall installer, plasterer, and painter at the Lviv Higher Vocational School of Design and Construction. After completing his studies, he worked in his profession. He loved to play football and spend time with friends. On the second day of the full-scale invasion, on February 25, 2022, the man voluntarily took up the defense of the Motherland against the Russian occupiers. At first, he fought in the ranks of the volunteer battalion "OUN", later - as part of the 3rd separate assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He defended Ukraine in the southern and eastern directions. Oleksandr Kurii's worthy service was marked with the following awards: "Golden Cross", "Cross of the Brave", the Order "For Courage" of the III degree (posthumously). "Oleksandr was an extraordinary guy, always fair and courageous. Everyone loved him for his sincerity and the ability to live brightly. His phrase: 'Storm while you're young.' He loved his work and respected his comrades-in-arms, always rushed into battle. He wanted to free Ukraine from the occupiers who had invaded our land," his beloved Iryna said. The hero was buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv. Oleksandr is survived by his mother, two brothers, grandmother, grandfather, and girlfriend.