Yevhen O. Lapiekhin (Dzhon)

Scout Yevhen Lapekhin (call sign John) was killed on March 8, 2022, while carrying out a combat mission near the city of Izium, Kharkiv region. Yevhen was born in Mariupol, Donetsk region. He stu at the Marine Institute but left and went into the army. He then worked in trade. The man was very fond of motorcycles and was a biker: he had a "Dnieper Chopper" motorcycle with a hand-made frame that suited his almost two-meter height. Later, Yevhen moved to Kramatorsk. There he met his beloved Kataryna. The lovers lived together and raised Kataryna's daughter from her first marriage. In the spring of 2021, Yevhen decided to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He signed a contract with the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade "Kholodny Yar". He served in the reconnaissance unit. At the beginning of 2022, Yevhen proposed to Kataryna. The couple planned to get married in Mariupol. But the full-scale war began. Yevhen and his comrades left on the first day of the invasion to defend Ukraine from the Russian invaders. They first defended Sumy region, and then Kharkiv region. On March 8, the car in which Yevhen and his five comrades were traveling was hit by tank fire in the area of Husarivka near Izium. All six were killed. The defender was buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv. Posthumously, Senior Sergeant Yevhen Lapekhin was awarded the Order of "Courage" III degree.