Oleksii O. Karastaianov (Aleks)

Grenadier Oleksiy Karastaynov (call sign Oleks) was killed on August 9, 2022, in the area of the village of Stepanivka, Zaporizhzhia region. The defender was 43 years old. Oleksiy was born in the city of Kryvyi Rih, but later his family moved to the city of Zaporizhzhia. He graduated from the Zaporizhzhia Electrotechnical College and the Zaporizhzhia State Engineering Academy. He worked at the Dneprospetsstal metallurgical plant. He went from being an ordinary worker to the head of the steel-smelting shop. He was a true professional in his field, an honest and fair leader. He always came to the aid of people first. He was loved and respected. With the start of the full-scale war, Oleksiy joined the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade and went to defend Ukraine from Russian occupiers. "He was a loving father, a caring son, a reliable older brother, a devoted friend. He was respected by his comrades. I am proud of my son. And I'm very sad. You were the best son in the world. My soul hurts so much that it can't be conveyed in words. Pain, terrible pain in my soul... You went to eternity," said the defender's mother, Olga Ivanivna. The serviceman was buried at the Osipenko cemetery in Zaporizhzhia. At home, Oleksiy was waiting for his mother, sister, wife, and daughter.