April 18, 2023
Paratrooper Oleksiy Velihosha, call sign Winnie-the-Pooh, died on April 18, 2023, while performing a combat mission near the village of Stupochky in Donetsk Oblast. On March 7, the warrior turned 20 years old.
Oleksiy was from the village of Pylypkivtsi in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. He studied at Pylypkivtsi Primary and Secondary School. Since childhood, he was fascinated with transportation and cars, so he didn’t hesitate long in choosing his profession. He graduated from Khmelnytskyi Higher Vocational School No. 11 and obtained a profession as a wheel vehicle repair mechanic and bodywork straightener. He dreamed of owning his own car – a black jeep – so he went to work immediately after graduation. He worked as a driver at the Agrobiznes bread factory.
During the full-scale invasion on December 4, 2022, he signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and went to war. He fought in the ranks of the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade. He carried out combat missions on the Eastern front, including defending the city of Bakhmut.
“In battles with Russian occupiers in Donetsk Oblast, we lost another one of our Heroes – Oleksiy Velihosha. Always smiling, positive, and kind-hearted, Oleksiy was the soul of the company, a diligent student remembered by all teachers and masters… We cannot come to terms with such a loss, bowing our heads in deep sorrow,” wrote on the page of Khmelnytskyi VPU.
Posthumously, soldier Velihosha Oleksiy Volodymyrovych was awarded the Order “For Courage” III degree.
The young Hero was buried in his native village. The same jeep he dreamed of was engraved on his monument.
Oleksiy is survived by his parents, sister, brother, and their families.