July 21, 2023
Senior Soldier Sergiy Pudov, known as “Stariy” (“Old”), was killed on July 21, 2023, near the village of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. He fell under mortar fire during a battle with occupiers and sustained fatal injuries. The defender was 47 years old.
Sergiy Oleksandrovych grew up and lived in Khmelnytskyi city. He acquired the profession of an electric gas welder at Khmelnytskyi Vocational School No.11. He worked in various specialties, with construction being his latest field of activity. He had a passion for cars and was knowledgeable about them. In 2014-2015, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Sergiy once again volunteered to defend the country, joining voluntary formations. In January 2023, he became a fighter in the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He held the position of a gunner-operator in the reconnaissance detachment of the reconnaissance platoon. Together with his comrades, he fought on the Zaporizhzhia front.
“My dad was always fair and brave, loyal and kind, courageous and sincere. He went to defend Ukraine and his people back in 2014, never afraid of death and only desiring peace. I am proud of my dad. His loyalty to Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and his comrades was until his last breath. He is my Hero!” shared the fighter’s daughter Valeriya.
The soldier was buried at the Alley of Glory in the Rakove district of Khmelnytskyi city.
Sergiy is survived by his mother, daughter, and grandchildren.