Serhii I. Shmyhelskyi

Sergeant Serhii Shmihelskyi was killed on August 20, 2023, during a mortar attack in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region. The warrior remained forever 43 years old. Serhii was from the village of Manevychi in Volyn. He obtained the profession of a carpenter in a vocational school, and then mastered several more professions. In particular, he worked in construction. He also served as a law enforcement officer in the city of Rivne for some time. In 2014-2015, he was mobilized and participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation. Later, he decided to sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At first, he served in the 51st separate mechanized brigade, which later became the 14th, and later in the 128th separate mountain assault brigade. In early March 2022, he again joined the ranks of the Armed Forces, becoming a serviceman of the 14th separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. He destroyed enemy targets with the Ukrainian "Stugna", repelled enemy attacks in the hottest battles in the Kharkiv region. He held the position of senior master of the repair department of armored vehicles. He dreamed of liberating Crimea. During his military service, he received six awards. Relatives remember him as a kind and sincere person who loved life. "Serhii was a true warrior-patriot - brave and devoted to his cause and country. He took up the defense of the state from the first days of the full-scale war, spending 15 months on the front lines. He often told everyone that he wanted to liberate Crimea. During his service, he fought in almost all areas where hostilities took place, only he was not in Crimea. He said that if his brigade did not participate in the deoccupation of the peninsula, he would transfer to another one that would be there... Under any circumstances, he fearlessly fulfilled his military duty, remained faithful and courageous to the last breath of the son of our country, for which he gave his life," said his sister Olena Matlakh about the fallen warrior. The warrior was buried in his native village. Serhii is survived by his mother, two sisters and a son.