Serhii K. Yahodka (Vyshnia)

34-year-old Sergeant Serhii Yahodka (call sign Vyshnia) was killed on February 11, 2024, in the area of Bohdanivka, Donetsk region. During the performance of a combat mission, he sustained fatal explosive injuries. Serhii was born in Kyiv. He graduated from the Kyiv Institute of Investment Management. Since the beginning of 2013, he has been serving in the contract military service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Before the full-scale invasion, he worked for some time as a sales representative in a company that dealt with automotive oils. In February 2023, the man joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Serhii served in the 214th Separate Special Battalion "OPFOR". Together with his comrades-in-arms, he defended the Donetsk region, in particular the Bakhmut direction. For his service, he received the awards "Golden Cross" and "War Veteran". "My brother was a hero, after being wounded we begged him not to go to war anymore, because his knees hurt, there were shrapnel and a fracture, he couldn't hear in one ear. But he told us: 'Who, if not me'. He was very positive and cheerful, he really wanted to live. He was loved everywhere. This is a very great loss for our family. We miss him very much. It's very painful!" - said Hanna Yahodka. The defender was buried at the Berkovets cemetery in the capital. Serhii is survived by his mother, sister, and three children.