Oleksii V. Poveshchenko (Matroskin)

Colonel Oleksiy Poveshchenko (call sign Matroskin) was killed on May 2, 2022 in Mariupol, Donetsk region. The serviceman stepped on a mine while rescuing the wounded from Azovstal. The defender was 42 years old. Oleksiy was born in the village of Novooleksandrivka, Dnipropetrovsk region. In 2018, he graduated from the master's program of the National Defense University of Ukraine named after Ivan Chernyakhovsky with a specialty in "Military Management". For 16 years he served in the National Guard of Ukraine. "Alyosha started his service from conscription. When he was demobilized, he worked at customs. And in 2005 he returned to service as a sergeant. Then he became a company commander, received the rank of junior lieutenant. In 2014, the man was appointed head of intelligence of the brigade. He took part in the defense of the village of Shyrokyne. After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, he stood up to defend Mariupol. Through his comrades-in-arms, he tried to send me SMS messages every day. On April 30, we even communicated via video call. The man said that he missed us very much and wanted to hug us. On May 2 in the morning, I received a message from him: "I'm doing well. I love and hug you tightly. Kiss my son Kesha tightly. Everything will be fine." And during the day the man was gone. They say that a guy from Kryvyi Rih, but from another brigade, with him. Alyoshechka was very brave. He loved and defended his country. He loved me, adored our son Kyrylo and dreamed of a daughter," said his wife Alina Poveshchenko. At home, Oleksiy was awaited by his wife and son. The defender was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, Third Degree.