Serhii V. Khoptiar

Born on May 27, 1996, in the village of Sokolivka, Yarmolynets district, Khmelnytskyi region. Graduated from the general education school of Sokolivka and the Yarmolynets Professional Lyceum (the urban-type settlement of Yarmolyntsi, Khmelnytskyi region) with a specialty in "automobile repair mechanic and driver." In July 2014, he was drafted for compulsory military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After some time, he switched to contract military service. From 2014 to 2016, he participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. As of the summer of 2016, he served as the deputy commander of a platoon in the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military unit field post V0927, cities of Sievierodonetsk/Lysychansk, Luhansk region). From March 2016, he again participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. On August 19, 2016, during lunchtime, Ukrainian positions near the urban-type settlement of Zaitseve, Horlivka city council (since September 2016 - Bakhmut district) in Donetsk region were subjected to a sudden short-term shelling by terrorists. At that time, Senior Soldier Khoptyar was heading to a post with a comrade and did not manage to take cover. As a result of a grenade explosion from an automatic mounted grenade launcher, Serhiy Khoptyar sustained multiple shrapnel wounds to the abdomen and neck. His comrade was lightly wounded in the leg, as the majority of the shrapnel hit Sergeant Khoptyar. From the severe injuries sustained, Serhiy Khoptyar died. On August 24, 2016, he was buried in the cemetery of the village of Sokolivka, Yarmolynets district, Khmelnytskyi region.