Briefly
Serhii Ihorovych Maruda, a defender from the Irpin community, was killed on 7 March 2025 near Sudzha on the Kursk direction. He had been listed as missing for over a year; on 10 March this year a DNA examination confirmed his identity.
Biography and service
Serhii was born on 3 February 1987 in Donetsk, and in 1988 his family moved to the village of Kozintsi, where he spent his childhood and youth. After school he studied to be a mechanic at the Nemishaiv Vocational College of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP).
With the onset of Russia’s large‑scale invasion in 2014, Serhii took up the defense of the country — serving with the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians, and later with the 95th Separate Air Assault Polissya Brigade, carrying out tasks in an aeromobile company.
Circumstances of death and identification
According to the Irpin community, the serviceman was killed while carrying out a combat mission on 7 March 2025 on the Kursk direction near Sudzha. For more than a year Serhii was considered missing; on 10 March this year the results of a DNA examination established his identity and provided the family with legal and psychological closure.
Community reaction
"In the hearts of his loved ones Serhii will forever remain as sincere, fair, a loving husband and father. Comrades remember the Hero as a soldier strong in spirit, loyal to Ukraine until the end. I express my sincere condolences to all of Serhii Ihorovych’s relatives and loved ones"
— Anzhela Makeieva, Acting Mayor of Irpin
In August 2022 Serhii was awarded the President of Ukraine's decoration "For the Defence of Ukraine" — a mark of recognition for his contribution to the country's defense.
What’s next
The return of the body and confirmation of identity is an important but painful stage for the family and community: it allows for a funeral to be held, the necessary documents to be obtained, and the process of psychological recovery to begin. For the community, it is a reminder that the war continues and support for the families of the fallen must be systemic.
The date and time of the burial will be announced separately.
Eternal memory and glory to the Hero. How the local community and the state will provide support to Serhii Maruda’s family and preserve his memory is a question those who stood beside him and those left without a loved one are waiting to have answered.
