Serhii M. Babenko (Syvyi)

Sergeant Serhii Babenko (call sign Sivyi) was killed on December 18, 2023 near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region. In a battle with the enemy, he suffered fatal injuries during a mortar attack. The warrior was 47 years old. Serhii was born in Mykolaiv. He graduated from the Ternopil National Pedagogical University named after V. Hnatyuk, where he obtained the profession of a teacher of the Ukrainian language and literature. Before the invasion, he worked as a senior sales consultant at the "33 square meters" store in Mykolaiv. He loved to read, travel, and do sports. He loved to cook and had his own culinary blog on social networks. Family was always the top priority for Serhii. He had a great sense of humor, was the life of the party, and a great optimist. He was always happy to help everyone. He was hardworking, determined, and very brave. During the full-scale invasion, the man joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, holding the position of a radio operator in the reconnaissance platoon. "Serhii was a man with a capital letter: conscientious, responsible, honest, caring, and courageous. In defending Ukraine, he was convinced that this war cannot be passed on to children. We must fight and achieve victory over the enemy once and for all," his wife Alina said. The defender was buried in the village of Zavodske, Ternopil region. Serhii is survived by his mother, wife, and two sons.