Serhii H. Kovalenko (Lisnyk)

Junior Sergeant Serhiy Kovalenko (call sign Lisnyk) was killed on October 22, 2022, while performing a combat mission near the settlement of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region. The soldier was 39 years old. Serhiy was born in the village of Pidluby in the Zhytomyr region. In 2000, he graduated from Yemilchynsk Secondary School No. 1. He then enrolled in a higher vocational school, planning to become a locomotive driver. However, he did not complete his studies as he went to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Later, he decided to sign a contract. In 2004, he was discharged and worked various jobs. In the summer, he went abroad for work. He was interested in construction and engaged in raspberry cultivation. With the onset of the full-scale war, he was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He underwent training in Zhytomyr and then in the United Kingdom. Eventually, he became a fighter in the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade of Sich. He held the position of deputy commander of a combat vehicle and gunner-operator. "My beloved, the best man in the world, a loving dad, son, and brother. And simply a very good and caring person," noted the wife of the fallen, Lesia. The paratrooper was buried in his native village. Serhiy is survived by his mother, sister, wife, daughter, and sons.