Rustam Sh. Khamraiev

By nationality, he is Uzbek, a citizen of Ukraine. His father is Uzbek, and his mother is Ukrainian. He is the grandson on his father's side of a World War II veteran, a participant in the Battle of Moscow (both the defensive and offensive phases of the battle), a participant in the battles for the liberation of Europe from Nazism, who, as a young man, lost a leg in the war and carries shrapnel in his body for life, a holder of many combat orders, Turniyoz Khamraev. From 1993 to 1994, he served in the border troops, and in 1995, in the ground forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Revolution of Dignity, Euromaidan He was one of the most active participants in the Revolution of Dignity, Euromaidan. He was on Maidan from the very beginning — from the end of November 2013. He joined the self-defense of Maidan, a fighter in the 14th hundred "Free People." After the "Berkut" forces broke this hundred and almost no one was left in it, he moved to the 38th hundred. In February, during street battles in Kyiv, he stood on the barricades, risking his life, retrieving wounded and killed comrades from under sniper fire, saved two nurses, was himself wounded and poisoned by gas. He suffered a concussion. Despite his injuries, he remained in the fight until the end, not leaving either the barricade or his comrades. He received first aid in Kyiv, later in Lutsk. Without completing his treatment, in March 2014, he returned to Maidan. He was a volunteer in the "MedAutoMaidan United" (MAMO), which helped those injured on Maidan and the families of the deceased; he lived in a tent city. When armed aggression against Ukraine began, Rustam went to war in the East as a volunteer directly from Maidan. The name of Lutsk "Aidar" fighter Rustam Khamraev, Hero of Maidan, Hero of ATO, undoubtedly entered the history of Ukraine. He is the pride of the Ukrainian army. Circumstances of Death. Rustam Khamraev heroically died on June 17, 2014, during a battle in the village of Metalist near Luhansk. On June 17, 2014, the advance unit of the battalion where Rustam served received an order to move to the area of the village of Metalist and liberate it from terrorists (Metalist is a suburb of Luhansk). On the morning of that same day, a group of "Aidar" fighters and paratroopers from the 80th Airborne Brigade fell into an ambush and were captured. Therefore, the commander of "Aidar" selected and directed the most experienced soldiers to liberate the village of Metalist from militants and rescue our fighters. On the way, the defenders fell into an ambush and engaged in battle against well-armed terrorists with heavy firearms and armored vehicles. Rustam remained to cover the fighters of his unit, holding back the advance of the terrorists, single-handedly holding the position, but the odds were too uneven: the terrorists had tanks, BMPs, armored personnel carriers, and heavy firearms, while the Ukrainian soldiers had rifles and machine guns. Under heavy fire from the terrorists, soldier Rustam Khamraev covered his comrades until the last moment, allowing them to regroup and ensuring their withdrawal to a safe place. He saved them at the cost of his own life. He met his death in that battle with dignity, like a Hero, taking the main blow upon himself. Rustam was shot with a large-caliber machine gun from a tank — the explosive bullets shattered the fighter's head, torso, and leg, and death was instantaneous. He remained faithful to the military oath given to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people on December 26, 1993, until his last breath (he always remembered this and was very proud that he took an oath of loyalty to Ukraine). The last entry in Rustam's notebook: "Received an AKS-74, 4 magazines. Stand to the death! Ukraine above all!" He kept his word. He gave himself entirely and completely to Ukraine. He took a step towards immortality.