Valentyn I. Petukhov (Rudyi)

Paratrooper Valentyn Petukhov (call sign Rudyi) was killed on December 18, 2022, while defending the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk region from the occupiers. The defender was 32 years old. Valentyn was born in the city of Pereschepyne, Dnipropetrovsk region. He lived in the Kharkiv region. He received his secondary education at a school in the village of Mazharove. Later, he graduated from Lysychansk Vocational School No. 51. He worked as a welder and a construction worker. He had land that he cultivated himself. He loved fishing. In June 2022, the man joined the ranks of the airborne assault troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade, holding the position of a sniper-rifleman. He participated in the liberation of the Kherson region and in the battles for the Donetsk region. "Valentyn was a kind, cheerful, and joyful person, always ready to help. He had many friends and was a support and a pillar for his loved ones. He loved his nephews very much and said throughout his service that he was guarding their sleep, so they could sleep peacefully. And now he is guarding their sleep from heaven. He was not a professional military, but on June 4, 2022, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He defended the independence of his native Ukraine until his last breath. He brought victory closer, and now, up there, among the clouds, he knows for sure that his comrades will take revenge," said the mother of the fallen, Olena Valentynivna. "Valentyn was a good, kind person. The best son, brother, and uncle. He loved life very much and had many plans and dreams for the future. He always stood for justice. He was worried about his comrades-in-arms who were by his side, and felt responsible for their lives. He loved his Motherland," added his brother Dmytro. The warrior was buried in the village of Kotivka in the Kharkiv region. Valentyn Petukhov is survived by his parents, brother, and nephews. The soldier Valentyn Petukhov was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.