Serhii M. Zholondek (Dzholondek)

42-year-old soldier Serhiy Zholondek (call sign Zholondek) was killed on October 2, 2022, near the village of Yampolivka in Donetsk region. He sustained a fatal gunshot wound while carrying out a combat mission. Serhiy was from the city of Chortkiv in the Ternopil region. He graduated from Budaniv Higher Vocational School. He worked at the Chortkiv Central City Hospital. He greatly valued family, having grown up in a large family with six children. He lost a brother during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). During the full-scale invasion, on July 18, 2022, he was called up for military service in the ranks of the airborne assault troops. He served in the 25th Separate Airborne Assault Sich Brigade, holding the position of a shooter. Together with his comrades, he defended Donetsk region, particularly the Lyman direction. "Serhiy bravely fulfilled his duty as a citizen of Ukraine. Until his last breath, he remained loyal to his comrades and his country. Always being in active combat zones, he never complained that it was hard for him; on the contrary, he tried to support everyone, assuring them that everything would be fine. Those who knew him say that people like him are extremely rare. I am proud of my husband, and our son is proud of his Hero father. A father with a capital letter. Serhiy gave everything for us, for a free Ukraine and peace, giving his life while still having so many plans and unfulfilled dreams," wrote his wife Ruslana. "He was only 42; many interesting and happy years of life awaited him... Countless plans, dreams, hopes, which were dashed by the cynical, vile, and merciless war of the Moscow empire against peaceful Ukraine," noted the Chortkiv community. The warrior was buried in his hometown. At home, his parents, wife, son, brothers, and sisters were waiting for Serhiy. Posthumously, Serhiy Zholondek was awarded the medal "Defender of the Fatherland."