Serhii S. Ustymenko (Nachkar)

Sergeant Serhii Ustymenko (call sign Nachkar) was killed on December 3, 2022 in a hospital in Dnipro. The soldier received severe injuries near Bakhmut in Donetsk region. His comrades transported him across the river by boat, as there were no bridges. The man lost a lot of blood. He underwent three operations in the hospital. Doctors fought for his life for almost a month, but the soldier's heart could not withstand. Serhii was born in Lozova, Kharkiv region. He studied at local school No. 4. He served in the border troops. Then he worked in a construction materials store for 10 years. In 2014, when the Russian-Ukrainian war began, the man volunteered to the front. He participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). After a year, he returned home and continued working at his previous job. When the full-scale invasion began, Serhii took up arms again to defend Ukraine. He fought against the occupiers in the ranks of the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh. He was a gunner-operator. "We lived with my husband for 15.5 years. These were the happiest years of my life. He always protected me, cared for me, helped and made me happy. He was a very good dad, constantly supported and cared for our son. We were always like one, did everything together. After he was gone, life seemed to stop. This is a very great loss for our family. He was a very bright person. Honest, fair, always came to help. He loved fishing, often went fishing with his son. He was the best dad and a loving husband. Everyone treated him with respect. No one will say a bad word about him. In 2022, when the full-scale invasion began, he went to defend our country. For 10 months he served devotedly, and one of the tasks became the last in his life," the warrior's wife Yuliia said. Serhii was buried in the Alley of Heroes of the central cemetery in his hometown. His wife and son were waiting for him at home.