Serhii I. Hryhorenko (Yozia)

Lieutenant Serhiy Hryhorenko (call sign Yozy) was killed on November 8, 2022, near the village of Terny in Donetsk region. While carrying out a combat mission, he came under enemy mortar fire and sustained fatal injuries. The officer was 30 years old. Serhiy was born in the city of Voznesensk, Mykolaiv region. He studied at the National University "Odesa Polytechnic," where he obtained a higher education degree in the field of "Chemical Technologies of Inorganic Substances," earning the qualification of engineer-technologist in chemical technologies. He was married and lived with his family in Odesa. He worked as the deputy head of the quality control laboratory at LLC "Logistic Oil." He loved playing the guitar, cooking, fishing, and playing paintball with friends. During the full-scale war, in May 2022, Serhiy was mobilized into the ranks of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade, where he was the commander of an aeromobile platoon. "Serhiy was brave, determined, courageous, yet kind and hardworking. Always smiling, he lifted everyone's spirits and constantly gathered people around him. Serhiy taught me a lot; we spent our entire childhood together. My brother has always been an example for me, someone I could turn to for advice or support," said his cousin Olena Ivanova. "Courageous, brave, and strong in spirit, he went to defend our motherland, our homeland. His comrades noted that he was a true warrior. There were many difficulties during service: the guys lost strength and hope. But Serhiy always supported, motivated, found the right words, and inspired. Serhiy, without sparing his own life, defended the borders of Ukraine and fought for peace for all of us. It is impossible to convey the pain that sits inside me. He wanted to live, to realize his dreams. Every day we must remember and honor our heroes. He gave the most valuable thing he had for each of us—his life," said the officer's wife. The paratrooper was buried in the Central City Cemetery in his hometown of Voznesensk. At home, his mother Alla, wife Yuliya, son Mykyta, relatives, and friends were waiting for Serhiy.