Serhii A. Dorohokuplia

Serhiy Dorohokuplya Alimovych was born on September 20, 1989. He dedicated 6 years to serving in the ranks of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, addressing emergencies of various kinds. Before the temporary occupation of part of the Zaporizhzhia region, he worked in the fire and rescue unit of the town of Mykhailivka in the Vasylivka district. After the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, the rescuer moved to the territory controlled by Ukraine, where he continued his service as part of the 1st State Fire and Rescue Post. On November 15, 2023, the enemy cynically shelled civilian infrastructure in the village of Zarichne in the Zaporizhzhia district. Emergency workers went to extinguish the fire that broke out as a result of the shelling. While the firefighters were working, the Russian army struck again at the epicenter of the fire. As a result of the explosion, Serhiy sustained severe injuries. He was taken by ambulance to the stabilization point, where, unfortunately, he died without regaining consciousness. "Serhiy Dorohokuplya joined our firefighting family in the summer of 2017. It was his inner heroism; he considered it his duty to work in a frontline unit after leaving the occupation. A person with a capital letter, someone you could always rely on! Serhiy was a very professional rescuer who flawlessly performed the tasks assigned to him and did a lot for our unit, even personally welding equipment for the gym. When I learned about his death, I was in shock, and even now, I don’t fully comprehend it. Serhiy meant so much to us; we miss him dearly," says Ivan Yevtushenko, head of the 34th Fire and Rescue Unit of the 6th State Fire and Rescue Service, about his subordinate. Serhiy Dorohokuplya was an example for many. A reliable comrade, a loyal friend, and a true professional in the firefighting field. The Russian military took the life of a firefighter who bravely fulfilled his duty until his last breath. For personal courage and selflessness demonstrated in the defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Serhiy Dorohokuplya Alimovych was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree.