51-year-old soldier Serhii Mytko, call sign “Mityai,” was killed on June 8, 2024, near the village of Ocheretyne in Pokrovsk district. While repelling an attack by enemy drones, he sustained fatal shrapnel wounds as a result of an explosive drop.
Serhii was born in Kramatorsk. He graduated from local School No. 35 and Vocational School No. 47. He was a jack-of-all-trades and mostly worked abroad in construction. Because he was rarely home, whenever he returned he devoted his time to his family. In his free time, he enjoyed meeting friends, watching movies and TV series, and was especially fond of science fiction and detective stories.
On February 25, 2022, he voluntarily joined the ranks of Ukraine’s defenders. He served in the 109th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade as a rifleman and assistant grenade launcher operator in the 106th Battalion. He fought in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions. He took part in the liberation of the city of Lyman and in battles along the Kreminna–Svatove line. In autumn 2022, he was wounded. After recovering, he immediately returned to service and continued defending his native Donetsk region. He was awarded the distinctions “War Veteran” and “To the Unbreakable Heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian War.”
“My older brother. My protector since birth. A brother who would always come to help. He was a sincere friend, kind and cheerful, always the life of the party. A month before his death, he was on leave and managed to see all his relatives. Serhii often forgot about his own needs, putting his family first. Our family will always remember Serhii as a loving husband and father, a caring son and brother, the best uncle and grandfather. I want the whole country to know heroes like my brother, to always remember thanks to whom they can continue living, and never forget those who gave their lives for us, for our future, for our country. The pain is unbearable for a lifetime,” said his sister, Oksana.
The soldier was laid to rest in his hometown.
At home, Serhii was awaited by his wife, two daughters, granddaughter, parents, sister, and other relatives.
At 9:00 a.m. — a nationwide minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Memorial of Heroes platform honor the fallen defenders of Donetsk region.