Serhii P. Tsiupa

Soldier Serhii Tsiupa was killed on April 3, 2024 in the village of Krynky, Kherson region. Despite fierce resistance from the occupiers, the Ukrainian military broke through to the left bank of the Dnipro River and created a bridgehead there to consolidate their position. Serhii's group had the opportunity to advance further into enemy territory. However, the defender stepped on a Russian mine and sustained injuries incompatible with life. The warrior was 46 years old. Serhii was born in the settlement of Turbiv in the Vinnytsia region. From childhood, he was interested in nature, and later discovered fishing, which became a lifelong passion. After graduating from the local school, Serhii was conscripted into military service in the Mostyskyi border detachment, which he served in the Lviv region. After demobilization in 1997, the man began working at a furniture manufacturing enterprise, then in security. He finally found his calling in the work at the factory in his native Turbiv. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Serhii joined the security unit of one of the Air Force brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a rifleman - a grenade launcher assistant. The main task of the military was to guard and defend an important military facility. In September 2023, Serhii, along with his unit, went to the consolidated rifle brigade of the Air Force. "Like everyone else, we hoped that it would all be over in a day or two, but our hopes were soon dashed. Serhii did not hesitate, he was definitely not one of those who could sit at home and calmly watch the horrors brought by the 'Russian world'," recalls his wife Tetiana. In telephone conversations with his family, Serhii told them that he was very lucky to be surrounded by the right people, that he had found many like-minded people and friends in the military team. "We met only 12 years ago. I already had a 6-year-old daughter Alina and two adult children, and he had a son Yaroslav. The husband managed to remain a loving father both for his son and to give a part of his love to my children. For me, he was the kindest person in the world, and the children sincerely loved him," adds the wife. Comrades-in-arms speak of him as a person who was always the first to go where the greatest risk was. "Without fear or hesitation, Soldier Serhii Tsiupa exemplarily carried out every combat mission. Although the battles were defensive, the enemy had a significant advantage in numbers and armament. Serhii showed himself as a fearless warrior, risking and fulfilling the assigned tasks every time," said the unit commander. The defender was buried in his native village. At home, Serhii was awaited by his wife, son, other relatives, friends and loved ones. Serhii Tsiupa was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.