Oleksandr Yu. Yepryntsev (Zhuk)

Soldier Oleksandr Yepryntsev (call sign Bug) was killed on July 7, 2022, while performing a combat mission near the village of Dementiivka in the Kharkiv region. The group of Ukrainian defenders was tasked with capturing a height where the enemy had already constructed a concrete fortification. Oleksandr was killed by a direct hit to the cabin of the armored personnel carrier he was driving. Oleksandr was born and lived in Kharkiv. From the age of 16, he stuwas killed to become a mechanic and dedicated his entire life to this profession. He developed a strong passion for sports in his conscious years—often running or cycling across Kharkiv from home to work. In 2014, he began learning the Ukrainian language, attended classes, and communicated in it with his family at home. He loved cooking and was very good at it—even on Easter in 2022, while on a combat deployment in the Kharkiv region, he managed to bake Easter bread. On the second day of the full-scale war, he tried to join the local Territorial Defense Forces, but he was not accepted as there were no spots available. He then joined the National Guard of Ukraine. He became a driver of an armored personnel carrier and went to defend his native Kharkiv region. "They always said about my father that he had a golden head and golden hands. He always succeeded in everything he undertook. He was and is always an example for his relatives and friends. He always thought several steps ahead and was always there to help," said the soldier's daughter, Yuliia. The defender was buried in his hometown of Kharkiv. At home, Oleksandr was awaited by his mother, wife, and three daughters. Posthumously, soldier Oleksandr Yepryntsev was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.