Ruslan V. Basmov (Bas)

Soldier Ruslan Basmov (call sign Bas) was killed on January 23, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission in the area of the village of Blahodatne in the Donetsk region. The defender was 19 years old. Ruslan was from Odesa. He studied at Lyceum No. 153. He had been passionate about football since childhood. He graduated from the Odesa Academy of FC "Chornomorets" and played for this club. Two months before the start of the full-scale war, he went to Zakarpattia and played for FC "Maramureș" in Solotvyno. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Ruslan began volunteering in the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions. Later, he himself took up the defense of his homeland. He volunteered for the special unit "Kraken", which is subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. He served in the "Sprut" company. "Brother Bas... A skilled warrior, sower of panic and despair in the ranks of the occupiers. Only we, your fellow soldiers and people close to you, knew what a kind and just soul was hidden behind these formidable armor. I haven't met a person more honest and fair than you in a long time. A man with a capital letter. A true knight, a worthy son of his land. This battle, which did not subside for a whole day, was a real hell. The time will come, and it will be possible to tell about it. But now we mourn the irreparable loss for Ukraine. One of her best sons has passed away. Sorrow and righteous anger... And also the memory of Ruslan. See you, brother. May your soul rest in peace with God, and the memory of you live for centuries," wrote his fellow soldier Rostyslav Vatah. "Friend Bas, forgive me, I didn't protect you, a completely young, hardworking, but fierce and courageous warrior. You killed hundreds of enemies with your Bulldog, we killed and will kill a thousand more, but this is not enough for me. I'm not satisfied with exchanging the best of the best for the outcasts of Mordor. There is no price for the life you lived with dignity. See you, friend Bas, see you, GUR MO employee Ruslan Basmov. We'll still drink mead and remember how brightly we lived our short lives!" added another fellow soldier Artem Romanov. "This is an incredible guy who was more humane than anyone I knew before meeting him! He left volunteering and joined the army to protect his family, friends, and loved ones. And he promised his mother that everything would be fine... Now we are fighting to make his name go down in history as a worthy defender of our motherland," said the mother of his fiancée Natalia. The young warrior was buried in the village of Avanhard in the Odesa region. Ruslan is survived by his mother, grandmother, younger sister, beloved, and other relatives, friends, and fellow soldiers.