Serhii I. Buldovych

Sergiy Ivanovych Buldovych was born on August 4, 1973, in Kirovohrad. Since childhood, he was fascinated by flying — at the age of 15, he joined the local aeroclub of TCAA. After graduating from Kirovohrad Secondary School No. 18, in July 1990, he entered the Syzran Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, which he graduated from in 1994 with a diploma as a pilot-engineer. The military rank of "Lieutenant" was conferred by the order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 01826 on October 22, 1994. From December 1994 to August 1998, he served in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the positions of pilot-operator and helicopter squadron commander (on Mi-24) of the 112th Separate Helicopter Regiment (military unit 21812) of the 55th Army Corps (later the 36th Combined Arms Army) of the Transbaikal Military District. On August 25, 1998, he was discharged from military service, returned to his homeland, and accepted Ukrainian citizenship. On May 20, 1999, he was called up for military service by the Kirovohrad City Military Commissariat, which he served in the 31st Separate Combat Helicopter Squadron (military unit 2270) of the 51st Separate Helicopter Brigade (military unit 2269) of the National Guard of Ukraine (from January 2000 — Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine), holding positions as a pilot-navigator, helicopter commander, and helicopter squadron commander (on Mi-8, Mi-9), and deputy squadron commander. In December 2003, he was appointed commander of the helicopter squadron of the helicopter squadron (on Mi-8) of the 51st Separate Helicopter Brigade of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, stationed in Kirovohrad. From February 2004, he served as the commander of the helicopter flight and deputy commander of the helicopter squadron for flight training of the Guards Aviation Base of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (military unit 2269), and on January 21, 2009, he was appointed deputy commander of the Guards Aviation Base of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (from March 2014 — National Guard of Ukraine) for flight training. He participated in many exercises and was awarded departmental awards from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine "For Distinction in Service" of I and II degrees, "Honorary Badge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine," and the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine award — the medal "For Courageous Service" of II degree. Oleg Don, a comrade-in-arms, said: "Always collected and demanding both of himself and his subordinates, Sergiy Ivanovych Buldovych took his work extremely seriously and demanded the same dedication from his subordinates. The pilots he trained reported that it was extremely difficult to pass the exams in flight disciplines with him. However, alongside his official strictness and demands as a commander, Sergiy Ivanovych was an extremely sincere and open person. The concepts of military camaraderie, friendship, and mutual assistance were the essence of his character. Oleksandr Rybalchenko recalls an incident that brought them together for many years: "At the end of the 90s, I was sent for further service from Oleksandriya to Bila Tserkva, where one of the units of the regiment was based at that time. After introducing myself to the commander, I was walking down the corridor when Sergiy (at that time, Sergiy Ivanovych was serving in Bila Tserkva) approached me. After greeting me, he asked, 'Are you with us? Where are you staying?' And upon hearing my answer that I had no accommodation yet, he immediately offered to host me until I settled in at my new place. I remember with gratitude the help that Sergiy provided to me, a nearly unknown person, at the beginning of my service in Bila Tserkva." Another equally significant incident occurred in 2013. Before one of the state holidays, an order was received from the main department regarding the payment of a bonus to one of the best servicemen of the unit. The proposal for this incentive was to be provided by a commission in the unit. During the commission's consideration of this issue, several proposals were voiced. Among them was the name of Sergiy Ivanovych. Indeed, as an experienced pilot, he deserved this incentive more than anyone else. However, during the discussion, Colonel Buldovych S. I. stood up, thanked those present for their decision, and proposed to award the monetary bonus to his subordinate, Senior Lieutenant Oleksandr Makeyenko: 'Oleksandr Mykolayovych currently has a sick child. An examination and treatment are needed in Kyiv. The bonus, of course, will not fully cover the expenses, but it will still partially help the family. Personally, I know Senior Lieutenant Makeyenko as a worthy officer who constantly works on himself and improves his professional level. So I ask the commission representatives to support my proposal…'. These two cases vividly demonstrate what kind of person this officer was: honest, dedicated, and decent."