Those we love the most, with every moment, less and less..

A couple of weeks ago, a bright person passed away – my cousin Oleksandr. I would like to remember him a little…

In general, I have quite a few relatives. A brother, two cousins, two cousins. Sasha was the third cousin, but the life of a military man is always a great danger. Three times he was on the verge of death, on the fourth, unfortunately, his angel closed his eyes, and did not have time to save him. A direct hit from an enemy drone destroyed his universe and the universe of his family.

He had three children, two of whom are minors. The realization of what happened will come to them only later, when a certain amount of time has passed. When they realize that their father did not go to work “again.” Their father simply will not return home, will not buy an electric scooter or a new phone. He simply will not do anything else.

I knew him since childhood, and he was one of the few people I could never say anything bad about in my life. He always helped everyone. When I had to go to the neighboring town to see an optometrist, he was the only one who asked me “when can I come pick you up?” No excuses, no “buts.” And he was always like that for everyone. He helped my mother around the house where I live now. His relatives and friends thought highly of him, because I don’t know a single person he would purposefully offend without a reason. He always helped his parents. When they had to bring him to the funeral, we took apart two huge bales of firewood that he had ordered for his parents. He always took care of them, and to make it easier to process potatoes, he bought a potato planter and a digger for his small tractor. A small walk-behind tractor for plowing small plots. It felt as if he knew that something could happen to him at any moment, and he was trying to close off all the questions that might arise after he was gone.

I saw him buying these things, and somewhere inside I had the feeling that he knew more than he was saying. That the situation in the place where he served had become too dangerous, and the chances of returning from there alive were becoming increasingly slim.

During one of the shellings, he was wounded and underwent rehabilitation, after which he immediately returned to continue fighting. His mother said that recently he had stopped smoking and drinking alcohol. As if he always had to keep himself under control. As if he felt that something could go wrong.

He passed away literally a day before his birthday. June 24, 2026. His birthday was supposed to be just a day later. The attack by the terrorist state of russia on his car was the reason why he was not destined to meet his 44th birthday. Several other servicemen also passed away with him. Many people tried to congratulate him on the holiday, not knowing that Alexander was no longer alive.

It’s sad to realize that I lost one of my brothers. It feels wrong when a person dies not from an illness and at such a young age. But dies doing his duty – protecting his home and family from a barbaric country that is only 40 kilometers from his home.

Those who did this will never, ever wash away the blood left on their hands. From the fact that they left two minor children orphans. From what his parents went through on the day they heard the sad news.

May your memory be blessed, brother. We thank you for your protection and hope that there you will finally rest from the service that lasted for you all 4 years of a full-scale war.