Serhii O. Malakhov (Bokser)

Junior Sergeant Serhii Malakhov (call sign Boxer) was killed on June 15, 2023 in a battle with the occupiers near the settlement of Bilohirivka in the Luhansk region. The warrior was 24 years old. Serhii was born in the city of Rodynske, Donetsk region. He obtained a secondary technical education. He served his conscription military service in the 25th Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He decided to remain in the army and signed a contract with the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa. He carried out combat missions in the ATO/JFO zone in Donbas. The man met the full-scale war together with his comrades-in-arms in the Donetsk region. At that time, he held the position of commander of the information collection and processing squad of the UAV battery of the artillery reconnaissance and control battery. From the first days of the invasion, Serhii continued to defend the Donetsk region from the occupiers. Later, he was sent to the Luhansk region. On June 15, 2023, while moving in an infantry fighting vehicle to carry out another task, Serhii, together with his comrades-in-arms, fell into an enemy ambush. The enemy's anti-tank missile system fired a missile at the BMP. At the moment of impact, Serhii was on the turret. The explosive wave threw him to the ground. The soldier received numerous injuries, and his uniform and equipment were on fire. Despite the pain, Serhii rushed to save his comrades who remained in the BMP. The enemy continued to deliberately fire mortars at the burning armored vehicle. As a result of the missile hit, Serhii received multiple shrapnel and explosive injuries that proved fatal. "Serhii is not only a hero for me. He became a brother, a close and reliable friend for me. A man with a capital letter: cheerful, loving and caring. We all miss him. But for me, he did not die, he lives in my heart and sooner or later we will meet and hug each other as before," said the deceased's best friend Artem. "Smiling, confident, strong, so young and beautiful... Serhii will remain in our hearts just like that, our defender, our hero... Bow to Serhii's parents, deep condolences... May Serhii continue in his little daughter!" wrote an acquaintance Halyna Kupavykh. The warrior was buried in the Alley of Heroes of Ukraine cemetery in the city of Dnipro. The defender left behind parents, a wife, a daughter, other relatives, friends and comrades-in-arms.