Soldier Mykola Harkusha was killed in action on February 22, 2023, while fighting Russian occupiers near the village of Novobakhmutivka. He was forever 32 years old.
Mykola was born in the city of Yenakiieve, Donetsk Region. He received a vocational secondary education as a welder and worked as a warehouse manager at a construction supply company. He was passionate about cars, enjoyed repairing them, and loved driving his own vehicle.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Mykola and his family evacuated to Odesa. There, he voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 12th Separate Rifle Battalion (Military Unit A7096) as a combat engineer in the engineer-sapper platoon.
“He was incredibly cheerful, kind, and courageous. He never refused to help and was always there when someone needed him,” said his wife, Yuliia.
“He was an honest man with a strong sense of honor—kind, smiling, brave, and fair. He was responsible, strong, and unbreakable—a true man and a true warrior. He firmly believed in our victory and promised to do everything possible, and even impossible, to achieve it. His brothers-in-arms could always rely on him. He was one of those people who knew how to sacrifice for others,” his family added.
Mykola was laid to rest in Odesa.
He is survived by his wife, two children, his parents, his brother and sister-in-law, and his nieces and nephews.
At 9:00 a.m., Ukraine observes the National Minute of Silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration, together with the Memorial Heroes Platform, honors the memory of the fallen defenders from Donetsk Region.