Vitalii A. Plaksin (Khardkor, Zhuzh)

40-year-old marine Vitaliy Plaksin (call sign Hardcore) was killed on August 20, 2022 near the village of Pisky in the Donetsk region. An enemy tank shell hit his dugout. Vitaliy was born in the village of Shelyugi in the Zaporizhzhia region. He loved football very much. He studied at the Zaporizhzhia National University, at the Faculty of Olympic and Professional Sports. He obtained a degree as a football coach. He supported the Zaporizhzhia FC "Metalurh". He played for local football teams. With the start of the full-scale war, Vitaliy went to serve in the 503rd separate marine battalion of the Ukrainian Navy. "A very hardworking and reliable person. He loved to travel around Ukraine. He lived for football. He never complained. He was the best friend and husband. From the first days of the war, he went as a volunteer. He believed in victory," said his wife Kateryna Iliukhina. The defender was buried in Zaporizhzhia. At home, his wife and son were waiting for Vitaliy.