Reconnaissance soldier Mykola Diachenko was killed on June 20, 2022, near the village of Novomykhailivka. The warrior was 31 years old.
Mykola was originally from Donetsk Oblast. He lived and worked in Bakhmut. Since childhood, he had been interested in books about war and enjoyed constructing military equipment models, so with the onset of the Russian-Ukrainian war, he went to defend his native Donbas.
He participated in the ATO/JFO as part of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa, fighting near Donetsk, Marinka, Zaitseve, and Zolote. He met the full-scale war in his native Donetsk region. He served as commander of a reconnaissance squad and vehicle commander of a reconnaissance platoon.
"Everyone who knew him since childhood says he was always like that: stepping forward to protect others. We decided to bury him in Ternopil because my three-year-old daughter and I are here now. He wanted us to move here in February. Now my daughter helps keep me distracted because she is the spitting image of her father in every way. I want her to have a happy future so much. My husband wanted that too when he went to war — to protect us and his Motherland. He considered it his duty. I think now he would give people this advice: 'Enjoy life and live one day at a time.' That is what we always did," his wife Tetiana told journalists.
The serviceman was buried at the Mykulynetske Cemetery in Ternopil. Posthumously, he was named an honorary citizen of the city.
The defender is survived by his wife and daughter.
At 9:00 AM — the national minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Heroes' Memorial platform honor the fallen defenders from Donetsk Oblast.