Soldier Mykola Harkavyi, call sign “Leshyi,” was killed in action on March 8, 2024, near the village of Tonenke, Pokrovsk district.
While performing a combat mission, he sustained fatal injuries. The defender was 33 years old.
Mykola was a native of Donetsk region and lived in the city of Rodynske. He earned a higher education degree from the Cherkasy Institute of Fire Safety named after the Heroes of Chornobyl, majoring in Fire Safety. He served in the 9th Fire and Rescue Unit, 51st Fire and Rescue Station of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, where he held the position of squad commander.
Mykola took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). During the full-scale invasion, in 2023, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, serving in the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Volodymyr Monomakh as a sapper in the engineering support group.
For his service, Soldier Mykola Harkavyi was awarded the Presidential Decoration “For Participation in the ATO,” the “Golden Cross” badge, and numerous certificates of merit and commendations.
“Mykola was a brave and responsible man. While serving in the State Emergency Service, he performed his duties clearly and selflessly, saving the lives of people and animals. He was highly respected by his colleagues. When the full-scale invasion began, he couldn’t stop thinking about joining a sapper unit — though I tried to dissuade him. Later, he left the fire service entirely and joined the Armed Forces… There, too, he found understanding among his comrades. Every mission he went on was a heavy burden for me, filled with worry. Every morning I waited for a message or a simple ‘++’. But on March 8, instead of a message, I received that terrible call. The children were waiting for him at home — and to this day, they are still waiting and missing their father,”
— said his wife, Khrystyna.
The defender was laid to rest in the city of Dnipro, at the Krasnopil Cemetery.
Mykola is survived by his wife, three children, and father.
🕯At 9:00 a.m. — a nationwide moment of silence.
The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Heroes Memorial platform honor the fallen defenders from Donetsk region.