55-year-old Serhii Medentsev was killed on July 4, 2025, in the village of Torske, Kramatorsk district. A Russian shell struck his vegetable garden.
Serhii was born and lived in Torske. After serving as a firefighter, he retired, while also doing occasional work at a farming enterprise.
In 2022, Torske fell under Russian occupation. Serhii and his family evacuated, and after the village was liberated in the autumn of the same year, they returned home.
In 2025, life in Torske became increasingly unsafe — shelling intensified and enemy drones appeared more frequently. Serhii’s wife and his mother left the village. He said he would join them later.
On July 4 at around 3:30 p.m., Serhii contacted his wife, Nataliia.
“We spoke every morning and evening. Suddenly, I heard explosions over the phone. I asked my husband to take shelter. Then I heard him scream — and that was it. It was the last time,” Nataliia said.
She called the neighbors, who found Serhii dead after the shelling — the shell had landed in his garden. Serhii was buried in the town of Barvinkove, Izium district, Kharkiv region, where his family had relocated.
“Another worthy life has been cut short. Serhii Mykolaiovych devoted his life to saving others, as he worked in fire protection. He was someone you could rely on — simple, dependable, kind-hearted, a good-natured rural man who loved his land, his family, and everything that can be called a homeland,” wrote Valentyna Shylova, who worked with him for more than 20 years.
Serhii Medentsev is survived by his wife, two sons, and his mother-in-law.
At 9:00 a.m. — a nationwide minute of silence.
The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Memorial: Killed by Russia platform honor civilians of Donetsk region killed by Russian forces.