Serhii O. Babii

Serhiy Olegovych Babiy was born on March 4, 1991, in Moldova. At the age of 14, he moved with his parents to Ukraine, to the village of Zelena in the Dnistrovskyi district of Chernivtsi region. The only son in the family, the boy grew up in care and love and had a heightened sense of justice from childhood. In 2014, after graduating from Chernivtsi National University named after Y. Fedkovych, Serhiy began his service in the security police while simultaneously studying at the Rivne Higher Vocational School under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. For the last three years, he dedicated himself to service in the special police unit of the National Police of Ukraine in Chernivtsi region. From the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Senior Police Sergeant Serhiy Babiy, along with his colleagues in the combined special forces regiment, defended the territorial integrity of our state. The police officer was involved daily in operations to liberate, clear territories, and critical infrastructure objects from the enemy. He also participated in the de-occupation of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions. On the night of May 22, 2022, Serhiy Babiy was killed during an enemy rocket attack in Zaporizhzhia region. He and his colleague from the unit sustained fatal injuries incompatible with life. Kristina Babiy, Serhiy's wife, recounts the irreparable loss of her husband and father: "It was as if he sensed his death. When he went to war, he was immediately less talkative, but recently during phone calls, he constantly emotionally repeated that he loves and values his family very much, and that he is on the front line for us. I am convinced that our daughter Victoria is named in honor of the victory for which Serhiy died. He is our champion." "I am proud of my son, who fought for peace in Ukraine at the cost of his own life. It hurts me that he did not live to see this day with his fallen comrades. But thanks to his heroic act, he brought us closer to victory. He is our Hero," says Serhiy's mother, Tetiana Mykolayivna Babiy. In the special forces unit, he is remembered as a brave fighter, a professional in his field, and a person who was always the first to come to the aid of others. Always positively charged, the police officer inspired his colleagues with his enthusiasm. Senior Police Sergeant distinguished himself in the unit with excellent physical training, which allowed him to be resilient while performing his duties and to become a role model. A colleague, best friend, and godfather of the deceased Serhiy Babiy’s children, Senior Police Sergeant Serhiy Pyatnytskyi, shares memories of their friendship from school years, which was strengthened by their shared passion for team sports. The boys studied at the same school, played for the same football team, and later were united by their work in the police. "In our school years, when we played football, our parents could not afford to buy both of us sneakers for the game, so Serhiy and I saved up, bought one pair of shoes for both of us, and took turns wearing them to play. My friend had the best human and masculine qualities. Brave, conscientious, responsible, a perfectionist, with a great sense of humor, friendly, and self-critical. Serhiy and I were very close and supported each other even outside of work," recalls Serhiy Pyatnytskyi. As family members say, Serhiy agreed without hesitation or doubt to go to the front line to defend the territorial integrity of our state and fight for peace in Ukraine. About Serhiy's sense of patriotism and dedication to his country, the aunt of the fallen and the head of the village of Zelena, Larysa Vasylivna Babiy, recalls: "Serhiy's strong and willful character was formed in childhood. The boy was raised with the principle: 'Family and Homeland above all!'. He was a successful student, represented our village and district in various sports competitions and championships. Life hardened him for resilience and constant challenges. It seemed that Serhiy was in a hurry to live and do everything. As the father of two children, he always made plans for a bright future for his family, cared for and helped all his relatives."