Serhii H. Pakin

Senior Soldier Serhii Pakin was killed on July 3, 2023, near the village of Klishchiyivka in the Donetsk region. The tank unit in which he served was carrying out a combat mission to support the offensive actions of the assault battalion in the Bakhmut area. Thanks to the skill and high professionalism of the tank crew (its fire support caused significant damage to the enemy's defense), a large number of Russians were destroyed. This allowed the assault companies to advance and wedge into the enemy's defense. Around 13:00, the tank was hit by a Lancet loitering munition. Due to the explosion, a fire and smoke developed in the vehicle. The crew tried to move the tank to a safe place, but due to the damage, the vehicle was immobilized. The tankers began to abandon it. As a result of a repeated hit, Serhii received fatal injuries. In September, the hero would have turned 30 years old. Serhii was born and lived in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. Since childhood, he had dreamed of being the head chef of his own restaurant, so after school he entered Vocational School No. 14, where he mastered the profession of a cook. However, after graduation, he did not start working in his specialty. He earned money by repairing apartments on order. In the spring of 2012, he went to the army, although due to his health condition, the military medical commission should not have passed him. He passed the examination through cunning and was drafted into the army. Then he got a job as a driver. In his free time, he loved to play football. In 2021, the man signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 24th separate assault battalion "Aydar". He was a mechanic-driver of a tank unit. With the beginning of the full-scale war, Serhii, together with his comrades-in-arms, continued to defend the Motherland from the invaders. In April 2022, the warrior received the Order of Courage of the III degree. And posthumously - the Order of Courage of the II degree. "I can only say one thing: the war takes the best... He was a ray of sunshine through the rain..." said the deceased's girlfriend Darya. The tanker was buried in the village of Ivanivka near Kramatorsk. Serhii is survived by his mother, sister, daughter from his first marriage, girlfriend, and a son whom he never had time to see.