Valerii O. Bolhov (Khokhol)

Senior Lieutenant Valeriy Bolhov (call sign Khokhol) was killed on June 10, 2022, in the area of the village of Bohorodychne, Donetsk region. The 28-year-old officer, along with his comrades, got into an enemy ambush. Valeriy was born in the village of Novohryhorivka, Mykolaiv region. He graduated from the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force named after Ivan Kozhedub. He was intensively engaged in sports, was a candidate for master of sports in mixed martial arts. In 2015, he voluntarily went to defend the Motherland, participated in the ATO in Donbas. He was well-versed in maps and techniques, read books on tactics of combat. In 2017, following the results of combat shooting, he received the distinction "Best commander of the ZU-23 anti-aircraft installation". The young officer always took care of his personnel. He was the commander of anti-aircraft missile troops, commander of a unit, then a platoon, later a company. He always repeated: "Khokhols do not flee". In 2018, he married a girl named Anastasia. The young couple planned their future. However, a full-scale war began soon. Valeriy commanded a fire support company of the 79th separate airmobile assault brigade. "I remember how vital he was, how he loved life, always in a hurry, in constant motion. He drew well, left many sketches, tattooed, was interested in agronomy. He planned to build a house near the river, have kids and live in peace, plant a wheat field and put a beehive in his garden. He dreamed of climbing mountains, doing his favorite things, achieving heights in sports, and teaching his children to love Ukraine. He managed to save hundreds of lives and fought for millions. He won back the life of each of his personnel at the cost of his own. He was proud of our army, our people. Now I have to live this life for the two of us," his wife Anastasia said. The officer was buried in his native village in Mykolaiv region. At home, Valeriy's mother Natalia and wife Anastasia were waiting for him. Posthumously, Senior Lieutenant Valeriy Bolhov was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree.