Serhii S. Burdelnyi

37-year-old junior sergeant Serhii Burdelnyi (call sign Buryi) was killed on June 13, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission near the settlement of Bilohirivka in the Luhansk region. The Russians carried out an air strike on the positions of the Ukrainian defenders. Due to the intense shelling, the bodies of the fallen soldiers were not immediately retrieved. Serhii was found in July, and it was not until December that his relatives received the first results of the DNA analysis, which were confirmed in February 2024. Serhii was born in Severomorsk (Russia), but spent most of his life in Khmilnyk. He studied at the Volodymyr Kozubnyak Lyceum there. He obtained a degree in marketing from Khmilnyk National University. During peacetime, he worked as a driver in state and private organizations. In 2014-2015, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). After being discharged from the military, he went to work in Poland. He returned immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion and volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in February 2022. He served in the 81st Separate Airmobile Brigade as a reconnaissance radio operator. In September 2022, he was wounded, underwent treatment, and returned to the front line after rehabilitation in December. For his bravery in combat and responsible execution of tasks, the military man received the following awards: "For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation", "ATO Participant", "War Veteran", "Steel Cross", and the Order of Courage III degree (posthumously). "Serhii was a beloved husband and loving father. He was the soul of the company, able to bring people together around him, motivate them, and always be fair," his wife Oksana said. The hero was buried in the Alley of Glory of the Rakove microdistrict cemetery in Khmilnyk. Serhii is survived by his mother, sister, brothers, wife, son, and daughter. He was posthumously awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the City of Khmilnyk".