April 9, 2023
Sergeant Maxim Falin perished on April 9, 2023, in battle with Russian occupiers near the village of Novobakhmutivka in Donetsk region. He turned 43 just a month prior, on March 5.
Maxim was born in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, into a military family. He grew up disciplined and hardworking, showing a strong sense of responsibility for his younger brother. Even then, while taking care of him, he began dreaming of having a daughter. He always had many friends, was very sociable, and excelled academically. In 1995, he graduated from Secondary School No. 15. Later, he enrolled in Melitopol Higher Vocational School, where he obtained a degree as a welder. In 1998, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, specializing as a cryptographic coder at the training center in Pavlohrad, continuing his service at military unit A1126 in Vinnytsia. He was discharged in 2000. In 2013, he met his future wife, Nadia; after a few years, the couple married and moved to Khmelnytskyi, then to Vinnytsia. Maxim worked as a welder.
“Maxim was always an optimist and said he would be a father to many children. My husband and I planned to build a private house for our future large family and open a family pizzeria. He worked very hard for this, always on earnings: sometimes in Poland, sometimes in the Czech Republic. He was always fair. He loved big gatherings with friends, adored fishing, firearms, nature, and active leisure. We loved traveling together. Every year we went to the sea, he dedicated a lot of time to the children. He taught our son to swim in the pool when he was just 4 months old,” recalls the fallen soldier’s wife.
On the morning of February 24, 2022, Maxim hurried home from work to evacuate his family to safety. Three days later, he arrived for further military service at one of the aviation brigades of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was assigned as a machine gunner in one of the platoons of the unit’s security detail. During his service, he was known for his good nature and simplicity of decisions. Comrades describe him as friendly, fair, and very generous. He always smiled, was an example of simplicity in life, and a model of discipline in military service.
Together with his comrades, Maxim constantly trained, honed shooting skills, learned tactical medicine, and completed a full combat training course in modern warfare realities. Later, Maxim’s unit reinforced the ranks of the Combined Air Force Rifle Brigade. Soon, the defenders set out to defend the Eastern front.
On April 6, 2023, the soldier made his final call to his family, warning them that he would be out of touch for about two days. Three days later, he perished.
On May 25, 2023, Sergeant Falin M.A. was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, 3rd Class.
The military was buried in the village of Pravdivka in Khmelnytskyi region. On August 29, 2023, a memorial plaque to the defender was unveiled on the facade of the village council building.
Maxim is survived by his wife, son, daughter, brother, aunt, relatives, friends, and comrades.