Oleksii M. Mikheiev

30-year-old soldier Oleksii Mikhieiev died on August 10, 2022 in a hospital in Zaporizhzhia. Two days earlier, he was wounded while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Vremivka in the Donetsk region. He and his comrades-in-arms were ambushed by an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group and were fired upon by a Russian tank. No one from the unit survived. Oleksii was born in Vinnytsia. He completed 9 grades at school No. 21. He then enrolled at the Vinnytsia Technical College, specializing in "Maintenance of radio engineering devices". During his studies at the college, he attended a tourism club led by Mykola Polishchuk. He repeatedly went to regional and all-Ukrainian competitions, where he won prizes. At the age of 18, he received a driver's license for categories "B" and "C". After completing his studies, he served in the military in Zhytomyr. He started his work experience as a truck driver at PE "Avis". Later, he worked as a forklift driver at ATP-59, traveling all over the country. From the age of 22, he worked as a long-distance driver abroad. He skillfully operated tractors, tankers and refrigerators. He traveled almost all over Europe, but loved Ukraine the most. When the full-scale invasion began, Oleksii was on vacation at home. Without hesitation, on February 25, 2022, he packed a backpack with basic things, said nothing to his relatives and went to the military enlistment office. He was enlisted in the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk. He mastered the skills of a gunner and went to the front. "Cheerful, sincere, sensitive, a true friend. He always came to help in any situation. Light on the rise, in 10 minutes he could pack up for a trip, and take us with him. He loved to travel. While working abroad, he always found time to visit interesting places. Although a lot of time has passed since his death, there is still a feeling that the brother will come back soon. As if he is on another shift, went to work and will soon open the door of the house," shared the elder sister of the fallen Kateryna. The warrior was buried in the cemetery of the village of Zarvantsi in the Vinnytsia region. The defender left behind a son, parents, sisters and a nephew. Oleksii Mikhieiev was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.