Oleksii Ye. Nedolia (Papai)

Senior Sergeant Oleksiy Nedolya (call sign Popeye) was killed on February 22, 2024 in battle near the village of Ivanivske in the Donetsk region. He received fatal injuries during a mortar bombardment. The warrior was 53 years old. Oleksiy was born in Kyiv. In 1986, he entered the Riga Maritime School. After graduating, he studied at the Odesa Institute of Marine Engineering. During his studies, he fell in love with the sea for life. He dreamed of making a round-the-world yacht trip. At the age of 50, he bought his own yacht. In civilian life, he was a private entrepreneur. He had many hobbies: hunting, skiing, hockey, sailing. On February 24, 2022, the man joined the ranks of the defenders. He served in the 130th battalion of the 241st separate brigade of the territorial defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was the senior sergeant of the platoon. The call sign was taken in honor of the comic and cartoon character Popeye. Oleksiy had a tattoo of an anchor on his arm, he was a sailor and adored spinach, like the sailor Popeye. "My father was a conscious person with a capital letter. He was always there, even if there were thousands of kilometers between him and his children. His boundless love was enough for five children and even more. He adored this life. My father's life is like an immense chest of incredible fairy-tale stories, but it was his reality, which he built himself and taught his family to live just like that, to the fullest, giving 100%, as if for the last time. In the army, over 2 years of fierce fighting, he went from a private soldier to a senior sergeant. He gained an iron authority and respect from his comrades-in-arms. His cheerfulness of spirit, life and military position, courage and actions have more than once saved the personnel in critical situations on the battlefield. He was not afraid to take the initiative and responsibility. With his example of courage, steadfastness and combat experience, he taught the guys and led them. He always went to the combat positions first, and left last, preserving the lives of the personnel. The brothers-in-arms always went after him confidently, without looking back. He was a very sensitive and loving father and family man. He always instilled in his children a love of life and values. He raised conscious Ukrainians. And a lifetime would not be enough to know him and the depth of his soul. This is the most painful loss for the whole family," said Anastasia Nedolya. Oleksiy was buried at the Forest Cemetery in Kyiv. He was survived by his father, wife and five children.