Senior Sergeant Oleksii Chucha was killed on March 24, 2022, during an airstrike on the territory of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol. The warrior was forever 27 years old.
Oleksii was born on May 31, 1994, in the city of Siversk. He grew up in a family filled with love, support, and sincerity. He was the only child and the first grandson for his grandparents, who loved him dearly.
“When he was born, I was only 11 years old. I was still a child myself, but I loved him very much. He was always by my side, so I affectionately called him ‘my little tail’ — always рядом with trusting eyes,” his aunt Hanna recalled.
His parents loved and always supported Oleksii. From childhood, he was a sincere, kind, and open-hearted boy.
“He grew up surrounded by love and knew how to love sincerely himself. He deeply valued his family, respected elders, and always cared for those around him. He combined calmness with inner strength. He knew how to support others, how to listen, and never left loved ones alone with their difficulties. His smile brought comfort and warmth,” his aunt said.
Oleksii studied at School No. 2. He was diligent and hardworking, and he loved computer science. He was proactive and respected among his peers. After the 9th grade, he entered the Bakhmut Professional College of Transport Infrastructure, where he specialized in “Computer Network and Systems Maintenance.”
In 2013, Oleksii was drafted for compulsory military service, which he completed in Uzhhorod. When the war began in 2014, he signed a contract with military unit 3057 of the Eastern Operational-Territorial Association of the National Guard of Ukraine and moved to Mariupol. He rose through the ranks from private to senior sergeant. He served as a senior specialist in the third-category special encrypted communications group.
“Even during military service, he remained the same Oleksii — reliable, calm, and responsible. Someone you could always count on. Someone who would never let you down. In 2017, he got married, and the birth of his son Heorhii became the greatest happiness of his life. He was a loving husband and a caring father. Even in the hardest moments of the war, he worried most about his family who remained in Mariupol. The lack of communication forced him to desperately search for any information about his wife and son. Only after learning that they had managed to evacuate was he finally able to breathe a little easier,” Hanna said.
The defender was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” III degree.
To this day, the soldier’s body has not been found or buried.
Oleksii is survived by his mother, son, aunts, cousins, and sister.
At 9:00 a.m. — a nationwide minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Memorial Platform honor fallen defenders from Donetsk Oblast killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine.