Serhii O. Omelchenko

28-year-old senior soldier Serhii Omelchenko (call sign Yemelia) died on February 28, 2022 during the defense of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region. Since then, he was considered missing, and only in January 2024 the body of the defender was returned home. Serhii was from the village of Ivano-Yarizivka, Dnipropetrovsk region. He graduated from Babaikivska school. In 2013, he obtained the profession of tractor driver-mechanic, locksmith-repairman at the Tsarychanka Agrarian Vocational Lyceum. Then he served in the military. In civilian life, he worked as a driver and loved his profession very much. In his free time, he was engaged in fishing. In 2019, the man signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 46th separate assault battalion "Donbas" of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Since 2020, he has been participating in the Joint Forces Operation. He met the full-scale invasion with his comrades-in-arms near Volnovakha. "My son was a very kind and good person, a good son. He loved life and dreamed of a happy future. He loved his family," said Olha Omelchenko. The hero was buried on January 13, 2024 in his native village of Ivano-Yarizivka. At home, Serhii was awaited by his parents, wife and son.