July 3, 2022
Senior Sergeant Sergiy Kazmirenko, nicknamed Kucheryavy (Curly), was killed on July 3, 2022, during combat operations near the town of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region. He was considered missing for almost 1.5 years until, after extensive searches and numerous examinations, his wife found him buried in Dnipro at the Krasnopilske Cemetery among unidentified heroes. Sergiy, the defender, was 42 years old.
Sergiy Mykolayovych was born and lived in Cherkasy. He studied at School No. 20 and later learned the profession of an electric gas welder at the local Vocational-Technical School No. 20. In 1998-1999, he served in the military during his conscription period. He worked at various companies in his field, with his last job being at the housing and utilities maintenance enterprise (ZHESK). He got married in 2004. He was passionate about fishing, loved music, and was skilled in shooting, earning awards in skeet shooting competitions.
On the first day of the full-scale invasion, he joined the local territorial defense forces (TRO), and on March 3, 2022, he became a serviceman of the 20th separate rifle battalion (military unit A7104) within the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He held the rank of senior sergeant in his company. He defended Cherkasy and Kanev, and later participated in the liberation of Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
“Sergiy was always honest, fair, and a good patriot of his country. He was a good person who could rally like-minded individuals around him. He always had his own opinion. He was the best father and husband. They could have not called him to defend the Motherland, but since he served in the airborne troops, he always said to me, ‘Who else if not me?’ He would say, ‘How can I look my children in the eyes if I don’t protect them?’ Sergiy promised to return with victory and always said, ‘Just believe in me, my dear!’ After what he saw during the defense of Severodonetsk, he said, ‘God forbid they come to our city and do the same to it. That’s why I defend my land.’ But fate did not allow him to return from the war… He was the best person in my life. He went to this war so that his children could live in a free country under peaceful and blue skies, and not be ashamed of their father. Because we live on our God-given land… And we won’t give it to anyone… I believe in our victory so that his death was not in vain,” said the wife of the fallen soldier, Aliona.
The defender was buried at the Alley of Heroes in the cemetery of Cherkasy.
At home, Sergiy’s wife Aliona and their three children, Polina, Kirill, and Ulyana, awaited him.