Yevhen M. Buhaiov (Vei)

33-year-old Senior Sergeant Yevhen Buhaiov (call sign Ben) was killed on October 1, 2022 during a counteroffensive near the village of Davydiv Brid in the Kherson region. The battalion of defenders came under fire in the forest belt. When the company commander was wounded, Yevhen ran to pull him out. But an enemy bullet hit him in the chest, and the bulletproof vest did not save the defender's life. Yevhen was born in the city of Reni, Odesa region. After finishing school, he studied at the Reni Institute of the Dnipro University of Economics and Law. Then he expressed a desire to become a border guard. In 2011, he underwent training in Cherkasy and began guarding the borders of the Odesa region. He served in the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine in his hometown. In 2018, he left the service and began working at the shipping company "Ukrainian Danube Shipping". He was fond of sports, loved to repair cars and cook various dishes. A week before the full-scale invasion, Yevhen returned from a voyage. And on March 2, 2022, he took up the defense of his family and Ukraine. He fought in the ranks of the 88th separate marine battalion of the 35th separate marine brigade. He was a gunner. "He was a strong, smiling and kind person, a loving husband, a wonderful father for his daughter, a good son, a reliable friend and a fair comrade-in-arms! He was a very hardworking, kind, and courageous person. A brave warrior, a true patriot of Ukraine, who honorably fulfilled his duty to protect his country and remained faithful to the oath until the end. He is our Guardian Angel, who will forever remain in our hearts and memory!" - wrote the wife of the fallen defender, Olena. The marine was buried with honors on the Alley of Heroes of the cemetery in the city of Reni. At home, Yevhen was awaited by his wife, daughter, relatives and friends.