Serhii P. Yepifanov

Born on January 22, 1983, in the village of Lvivka, Zolotonis'kyi district, Cherkasy region. Graduated from the general education school in the village of Skorykivka, Zolotonis'kyi district. Served mandatory military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After the army, worked for some time as a mechanic. Served under contract as the head of the workshop of the special equipment supply department of the engineering and technical support department of the Training Center for Junior Specialists of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (now named after Major General Ihor Momot - military unit 9930, the settlement of Orshanytsia, Sosnivskyi district of Cherkasy city). Since 2011, studied part-time at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Physical Culture, Sports, and Health of Cherkasy National University named after Bohdan Khmelnytskyi (Cherkasy city) majoring in "Physical Education." Since the spring of 2014, participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. On June 14, 2014, a column of vehicles of the State Border Guard Service, in which sergeant Serhiy Yepifanov was present, was heading for rotation to the border guard units with a cargo of provisions and equipment. Around 10:00, on the outskirts of the city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region, near the Azovstal metallurgical plant, the column was ambushed by militants and was fired upon with automatic and sniper weapons and grenades. During the battle, sergeant Serhiy Yepifanov was killed by a fatal head wound from a militant sniper while moving to cover. During the confrontation, Major Mykola Zaytsev and serviceman (driver) Oleksandr Ostrovskyi were also killed. On the same day, from the injuries sustained, Major Vitaliy Vinnychenko died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and in the hospital in Mariupol, warrant officer Volodymyr Hrechany died. Another 7 border guards were injured of varying degrees of severity. On June 17, 2014, he was buried in the cemetery of the village of Lvivka, Zolotonis'kyi district, Cherkasy region.