Yurii O. Koveniev (Keer, Dzhura)

Senior soldier Yuriy Koveniev (call sign Kip) was killed on August 17, 2023, in the territory of the Serebryanske forestry, near the city of Kreminna, Luhansk region. In the battle with the enemy, he received fatal injuries during a grenade launcher attack. On August 29, the defender would have turned 33 years old. Yuriy was born in the village of Vradiyivka, Mykolaiv region. He graduated from the Open International University of Human Development "Ukraine" with a degree in Accounting. But he did not work in his profession for long. He and his brother were engaged in beekeeping, and in the off-season he worked as a freelancer. Since 2018, he lived in Mykolaiv. His last place of work was the "ATB-market". In 2014-2015, he participated in the ATO as part of the 79th separate airmobile brigade, and in 2016-2017 he was in the Ukrainian Volunteer Army. So, having combat experience, he went to the front again in 2022, during the full-scale war. At first, he served in the 406th separate artillery brigade named after General-Ensign Oleksiy Almazov, and in 2023 he was transferred to the 12th Special Forces Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov". Since his service in 2014, Yuriy had the call sign Djura, but, as he himself said, he had "outgrown" it and wanted something new. When he was transferred to "Azov", the man began a new story with a new call sign, which he came up with together with his wife. The word "Keep" in English has many symbolic meanings, so after much deliberation, they finally settled on it. The military man was repeatedly awarded the medals "Veteran of War - Participant of Combat Operations", "Participant of the ATO", "For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation", "To the Unbroken Heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian War", and the Order of Courage of the III degree (posthumously). "Our wardrobe always had a uniform hanging. And it was only a matter of time before the man would wear it again. After all, as early as December 2021, he asked: 'You understand that as soon as it all starts, I'll go?' He dreamed of liberating Ukraine from the Russian invasion, so that we could finally live our happy life without war... The only thing I have left now is to live for two, because in 2017 my beloved asked me: 'If something happens to me, promise that you won't put your life on pause.' See you in a better world, the brightest Person," shared the wife of the fallen warrior, Anastasia. Yuriy was buried in the Alley of Glory in his native village. At home, the defender was awaited by his wife, parents, brother, and other relatives and friends, comrades-in-arms. Posthumously, he was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the Urban-Type Settlement of Vradiyivka".