Олександр Віталійович. Симоненко

Soldier Oleksandr Symonenko (call sign Derzkyy, Sam) died on July 14, 2024, during an enemy machine-gun attack near the settlement of New York in the Donetsk region. The defender was 27 years old. Oleksandr was born in the city of Lubny in the Poltava region. He mastered the profession of a restaurant service specialist at vocational school No. 53 in the village of Voinyha. He was professionally engaged in martial arts: free fighting, pankration, grappling, and mixed martial arts. He was interested in music, cars, and was a good cook. He worked in various fields: as a security guard at "ATB", as a courier, as a pizza maker, and as a taxi driver. But eventually, he found himself in the military. With the start of the full-scale war, Oleksandr volunteered to defend his country from the occupiers. Initially, he was in the local Territorial Defense Forces Unit No. 1, and later he was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 120th Separate Reconnaissance Regiment. He was a machine gunner-scout. The defender was awarded the commander's badge "Ready for Resistance" and the Order of Courage of the III degree (posthumously). "My beloved is an irreplaceable person. A wonderful father who did everything for our son Dmytro. So charming, charismatic, cheerful, strong and smart. A month before his death, he became a group commander, which he was very proud of. He loved dogs very much. He always helped. He loved me more than anything in the world. My beloved will live as long as my heart lives, because my heart is my beloved," said the warrior's wife Luiza. Oleksandr was buried in the Alley of Heroes of the Novakivskyi Cemetery in Lubny. He is survived by his parents, brother, wife and son.