Oleksandr Yu. Zakharchuk (Zakhar)

Sergeant Major Oleksandr Zakharchuk (call sign Zakhar) was killedon August 16, 2022 in the village of Suligivka, Kharkiv region. During the enemy's assault on the positions, he received a fatal explosive injury as a result of massive tank and artillery shelling. The defender was 31 years old. Oleksandr was from the city of Novohrad-Volynskyi (now Zviahelʼ) in Zhytomyr region. In 2010, he graduated from the Novohrad-Volynskyi Industrial and Economic College and obtained the qualification of a mechanical technician. For some time he worked at a furniture factory, but most of his life he dedicated to the military. In 2012-2017 he served in the army, in 2014 he fought in Illovaisk, defending the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He was discharged and in 2018 went to work in Poland. When he returned to his homeland, he met his future wife. Later the couple got married and raised their firstborn. In 2021, the man decided to return to the army and signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Oleksandr served in the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Kostiantyn Ostrozkyi. He met the full-scale invasion together with his comrades-in-arms in the JFO positions. From February 24, 2022, he continued to fight for his country. His last position was the head of the battery simulator of the anti-tank missile artillery division. The fighter was awarded the medal "Participant of the ATO" and the Order of Courage of the III degree" (posthumously). He was also awarded the medal "For Merit to the Zviahelʼ District" and the title of "Honorary Citizen of the City of Zviahelʼ". "He is a wonderful man and the best dad. I miss him incredibly and love him endlessly. I will always remember and love him, because there is no one like him. He is my heart, and they took him away from me..." - shared the wife of the fallen hero. The hero was buried in his hometown. At home, Oleksandr was awaited by his parents Yuriy and Oksana, his wife Maria and son Yevhen.