Oleksii I. Melnyk (Diadia Losha)

Junior Sergeant Oleksiy Melnyk (call sign Uncle Lesha) was killed on October 17, 2022, while carrying out a combat mission in the area of the village of Yakovlivka in Donetsk region. The warrior was 50 years old. Oleksiy Melnyk was originally from the village of Soshanske in Vinnytsia region. He lived in Cherkasy region. He graduated from the Talne Construction and Economics Vocational College. He worked as a section manager for the facade direction in construction at the company "Ukrainian Construction Company." In the early days of the full-scale invasion, he volunteered at the military recruitment office. On March 8, 2022, he was called up to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He held the position of a rifleman-paramedic in the 4th Separate Tank Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky. Together with his comrades, he defended Donetsk region. “Uncle Lesha was a kind person, a loving father and husband, a loyal friend, and a caring host who knew how to do everything. That's how we all remember him,” noted the deceased's niece, Diana Salamova. The defender was buried in the city of Talne, Cherkasy region. At home, Oleksiy was awaited by his wife, daughter, relatives, and friends.