Oleksii O. Kutsarenko (Mafiia)

20-year-old soldier Oleksiy Kutsarenko (call sign Mafia) was killed on October 1, 2022, during the defense of Kherson region. The defender sustained a fatal injury as a result of enemy shelling. Oleksiy was born and lived in the village of Kozlyanychi in the Chernihiv region. In 2020, he graduated from the Sosnytsky Professional Agricultural Lyceum, where he obtained a specialization as a tractor driver-mechanic and a mechanic for agricultural machinery repair. In his free time, he loved fishing and spending time in nature. Immediately after graduating from the lyceum, Oleksiy was drafted for compulsory military service. That same year, he decided to sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He held the position of gunner in the tank platoon of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. From the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Oleksiy participated in combat operations and stood in defense of his native land. "My dear brother. Rest in peace. You will forever be in our hearts. You are our Hero, you are our angel. We will remember you forever and love you always. Light clouds!" - wrote the sister of the fallen, Alla Bukina. "It hurts. We are losing young, full-of-life boys. It is hard to accept the death of our defenders. Even harder to find words of comfort and support for the relatives and loved ones of the deceased. We share your pain and bow our heads in deep sorrow," - wrote the Sosnytsia community. The defender was buried in his native village in Chernihiv region. Oleksiy is survived by his father Oleksiy, mother Natalia, fiancée Marina, brothers, and sisters.