Senior Private Serhiy Balyura was born on October 10, 1997, in the city of Myrnohrad. He graduated from the Selidiv Mining Technical School (as of 2026, the Polytechnic Vocational College), where he earned a certification as a 4th-class underground electrician. He worked at the “1/3 Novohrodivska” mine.
When full-scale war broke out, he stepped up to defend his country. He served in the ranks of the 71st Separate Jaeger Brigade, which was reorganized into an airborne brigade in 2026. He held the position of senior rifleman in the security squad of the security platoon within the battalion command company. His call sign was “Boroda.”
“Serhiy was well-mannered, polite, courteous, and reliable. He was always smiling and helped his family, friends, colleagues, and comrades. He was the best, most loving son and grandson, the sole support for his mother and grandmother,” wrote his mother, Natalia.
The soldier was killed in action on September 19, 2023, near the village of Verbove in the Polohivsky District of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. During a combat mission, he saved two fellow soldiers but was himself killed by enemy tank fire. He will forever be 25 years old.
Serhiy Balyura was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” 3rd Class, and a Certificate of Honor “For the Defense of the State” from the Myrnohrad City Military Administration.
The defender was buried in the Walk of Fame at the “Ozerky” Cemetery in Myrnohrad.
He is survived by his mother and grandmother.
At 9:00 a.m.—a nationwide minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional State Administration and the “Memorial to Heroes” platform are commemorating the fallen defenders from the Donetsk region. Find out whether “eYasla” assistance is taken into account when calculating basic social assistance