Oleksii A. Zakusylo

26-year-old soldier Oleksii Zakusylo (call sign Zak) died on January 17, 2023 in the battle for the city of Soledar in the Donetsk region. He received fatal injuries during an enemy tank shelling. Oleksii was born in the village of Luhyny, Zhytomyr region. He lived in the village of Shchaslyvе, Kyiv region. He graduated from Zhytomyr National University with a degree in "Ecology and Law". He also studied part-time at Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University in the specialty "Physical Education and Sports". For several years, he worked as a physical education teacher in summer camps. He loved fishing, bicycles and motorcycles, drew pop art portraits, and made custom leather products. Recently, he worked as a customs broker at the pharmaceutical company "SanaClis". During the full-scale invasion, the man went to the front to defend his homeland and home from the enemy. He fought in the ranks of the 46th separate air assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a reconnaissance squad observer. "My only son Oleksii was sociable and cheerful. He reacted painfully to injustice. He was brave and determined, not afraid of danger. An example of resilience and fidelity to his principles. With the slogan "If not me, then who?", he went as a volunteer to defend his homeland. He could have lived and lived. So many unrealized plans remained," said the mother of the fallen warrior. Oleksii was buried in his native village of Luhyny. The defender is survived by his mother Nataliia and father Anatolii. The paratrooper was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.