Yurii M. Smyrnov (Stalker)

Born on March 6, 1981, in the city of Mykolaiv in a military family. He graduated from general education school No. 4 in Mykolaiv, the Mykolaiv branch of the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, and part-time from the Mykolaiv State Higher School of Culture with a specialty in "choreography." In the spring of 2014, he was mobilized into the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. He served as a shooter in the 19th regiment of public order protection of the Southern operational-territorial association of the National Guard of Ukraine (military unit 3039, Mykolaiv). Since July 2014, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine. He had the pseudonym "Stalker." On August 24, 2014, a column of the National Guard of Ukraine, which included soldier Smirnov, was ambushed near the urban-type settlement of Voikovskyi in the Amvrosiivskyi district of Donetsk region. He was one of the first to orient himself, took position, and opened fire in response, thereby covering the regrouping of the unit. The terrorist forces outnumbered them two to one, but the soldiers continued to hold back the enemy until the last moment, ultimately repelling the attackers. In this battle, soldier Smirnov was killed. He is buried at the Mishkovskyi cemetery in Mykolaiv.