Ruslan Yu. Popov

Popov Ruslan Yuriyovych was born on August 20, 1977, in the city of Ochakiv, Mykolaiv region. He graduated from a military school in Kyiv and became a special forces intelligence officer. He served in the UN mission in Liberia, West Africa. He had a pension for years of service, but joined the defense of Ukraine in 2014. On February 24, 2022, he was in the city of Mariupol. He escaped the encirclement in March, but returned to the city on evacuation flights to transport the wounded from Azovstal. He died on May 7, 2022, during a special operation in southern Ukraine, covering the retreat of a group. The Russians returned Ruslan's body on July 14 as unidentified during a body exchange. On July 15, 2022, Ruslan Popov was identified by his distinctive features. On July 21, 2022, the hero was buried in the city of Brovary, Kyiv region.