A Final Goodbye to a Ukrainian Hero

 

Serhiy Mykhalchuk’s brothers in arms came to Kharkiv’s alley of glory to accompany their friend on his final journey. A year and a half ago, he signed a contract and passed a selection for a Ukrainian Military special operations unit, which is deployed in the Donetsk Region.

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erhiy, who went by the call-sign “Mikho”, was a first-class machine gunner. He was on duty along with another soldier on December 14, when Russian-led forces unexpectedly began an artillery attack.

 

“No one expected it. The wounds he suffered were very serious. He had shrapnel in his face. There was an artillery attack, and his partner got to cover, but Serhiy didn’t make it. He took all the shrapnel. The second soldier is in the hospital now. He has a wounded shoulder. But he said goodbye to Serhiy in Novoluhanske and that he’s thankful to Serhiy for his second life,” soldier, call-sign “Trainer” said.

Serhiy was the youngest out of six, in a large family. His first-grade teacher brought pictures of little Serhiy to the ceremony. She remembers him being very kind and active, and always willing to help.

“They said on the television that he was a master with golden hands. He was the same way in childhood. As a six-year-old child, he came to class and brought order. He was the master of our class and studied well,” Serhiy’s first-grade teacher, Olha Naumenko said.

 

The director of the school Serhiy studied in says that students will remember Serhiy’s sacrifice and will be proud of his deed.

“I know that your family is special. Serhiy’s father speaks with the Earth when he works it. I think that that love to our planet gave birth to such an amazing son. Dear Mykhalchuks, you paid such a terrible price for your love to our land,” school principal Oleksandr Hrianyk said.

 

In honor of the hero, a triple gun salute was held on the alley of heroes.

The documents to posthumously award Serhiy Mikhalchuk with the title “Hero of Ukraine” are already being prepared.