Soldier Oleksandr Verpeka was killed on May 19, 2024, near the village of Lyptsi in Kharkiv region as a result of an enemy FPV drone strike. He was 37 years old.
Oleksandr was born in Sloviansk. He graduated from School No. 13 and began working shortly afterward. He spent some time working abroad in the construction industry. Later, he worked at a slag heap development site in Kramatorsk and, most recently, at the Alfa furniture factory.
“Oleksandr was a very sincere and kind-hearted person,” said his father, Anatolii Verpeka. “He was a jack-of-all-trades and could do just about anything. He was our only son. This is an incredibly painful loss.”
After the start of the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr and his family relocated to Kryvyi Rih. On January 4, 2024, he was mobilized into the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. He served in the 3rd Spartan Operational Brigade named after Colonel Petro Bolbochan of the National Guard of Ukraine, holding the position of Senior Mechanic-Driver in an operational assignment battalion.
He initially carried out combat missions in the area of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region and later in Kharkiv region.
Oleksandr was laid to rest in Sloviansk at the cemetery on Danylo Halytskyi Street.
At home, his parents were waiting for him.
At 9:00 a.m., Ukraine observes a nationwide minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Heroes Memorial Platform honor and remember the fallen defenders from Donetsk region.