Serhii A. Karnovych (Nur)

Major Serhii Karnovych (call sign Nur) was killed at night on July 29, 2022. At that time, the Russian occupiers staged an explosion in colony No. 120 in the village of Olenivka in the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. The defender was 62 years old. Serhii was born in the city of Terebovlia, Ternopil region, in a military family. In 1977, he graduated from the Perm Aviation School, specializing in "Aircraft and Helicopter Armaments". He served in his specialty. After graduating from the Kyiv Higher Military Aviation Engineering School, specializing in "Aircraft Armaments", he was sent to serve in the aviation military unit in Mariupol, where he served until its dissolution. In 1997, he retired. He continued to live and work in Mariupol, which became his home. He loved to spend time with his family and go fishing with friends. He was a participant in the Anti-Terrorist Operation, serving in the National Guard of Ukraine. His health and age forced Serhii to resign from service in 2020. However, on February 24, 2022, he unhesitatingly took up the defense of his native city and joined the Azov Regiment. He held the position of deputy chief of staff of the howitzer artillery division. Later, he ended up at the Azovstal plant. On May 18, 2022, along with his unit, he was ordered to surrender to Russian captivity. "My husband was very responsible, he cared about his subordinates, and skillfully passed on his experience to them. Even in those difficult conditions, he tried to create a cozy and comfortable environment. In the memory of his relatives and close ones, he will remain an extremely decent person, a caring and loving family man, a disciplined, persistent and responsible officer," Olha Karnovych said. Only after 11 months, after an examination and two DNA tests, the fact of Serhii Karnovych's death was finally confirmed. On July 3, 2023, a burial ceremony for the defender was held in Cherkasy. At home, his wife, daughter and son were waiting for him. Posthumously, Serhii Karnovych was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.