In Memory of Soldier Oleksandr Kusharev (Callsign 'Zelenyi')

Oleksandr Kusharev, who bore the callsign 'Zelenyi', became a focal point of attention from the occupying forces, who promised a hefty reward for his capture. Together with his fellow reconnaissance soldiers, this military serviceman became a genuine source of pain for the enemy. During the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) and the Joint Forces Operation (OOS), he earned a reputation as a brave fighter, and with the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 26, 2022, he rejoined the army. Tragically, the 36-year-old defender lost his life while performing a combat mission on June 9, 2025, near Vuhledar in the Donetsk region. His memory is honored, especially as just last February, he visited the Kyiv office of the State Criminal-Executive Service of Ukraine, where he participated in events honoring penitentiaries who became servicemen and received an honorary dagger. Now, however, he is spoken of in the past tense.

Oleksandr left behind a civil partner, Sofia, and their 12-year-old son, Ruslan. Sofia recalls how they met: 'I am from Sudak, and Sasha is from Chernihiv. He served his conscription in Crimea. One day, he came to visit a friend in the hospital where I worked as a nurse. We struck up a conversation, and there was an instant spark of sympathy between us. We exchanged phone numbers and gradually fell in love. After his service, Oleksandr decided to move to his relatives in Voznesensk. I am Crimean Tatar, and my parents were not very supportive of our relationship. My beloved practically kidnapped me. We dreamed of our own home; he often gifted me my favorite roses and tulips. He worked in a local correctional facility and adored our son, who was born in 2013. By that time, understanding with my family had improved, and everything was getting better. We raised Ruslan, trying to look to the future with confidence.'

A year after the ATO began, the restless Kusharev decided to join the military. For Sofia, 2015 marked the beginning of a new life, filled with different experiences and meanings, as her Sasha became a soldier in the war. Over the ten years they spent together, they faced many difficult moments, striving to support each other and cherish every moment together, as Oleksandr was often on duty. His wife and child mostly stayed alone, while the head of the family immersed himself in military affairs, joining the ranks of the 79th Air Assault Brigade. Oleksandr completed 13 jumps, one of which he dedicated to his son on the fifth day of the boy's birth. There is a video of this moment, shown in a report by the '1+1' channel about paratroopers who practiced water landings with parachutes. Jumping from the sky into the water is quite a complex maneuver, especially when done for the first time.

After the ATO, Oleksandr returned to the correctional facility, where he served on the watchtowers of the outer perimeter. However, in February 2022, new challenges began. In early March, Russian troops launched an offensive on Voznesensk. By the evening of March 2, fighting was already taking place within the community. At that time, a guard from the facility volunteered for territorial defense. The battle for the city lasted two weeks and ended with a successful repulsion of the occupiers' attacks. The Russians entered the neighborhoods where Oleksandr and Sofia rented an apartment, and during the fighting, his wife and son hid in the basement with neighbors.

Oleksandr Kusharev fought as part of the 187th Separate Battalion of the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade from Mykolaiv. His comrade Ivan 'Koldun' recalls that together with 'Zelenyi', they began their service in reconnaissance. 'Our task was to hold the Dnipro islands in the Kherson region. It was us who liberated Nestrih in the Dnipro delta on April 28, 2024. Kusharev, formally leading a squad, effectively commanded the reconnaissance platoon in the battalion. Thanks to his ability to identify and properly delegate tasks, many lives were saved. Often in our missions, there were not even any 'three-hundredths' (wounded). However, a massive artillery bombardment began on Nestrih, and two enemy companies launched an assault from the left bank. Boats and scooters used by the occupiers were sunk one after another. Thanks to Sasha, the enemy could not enter the island for a long time, but the ammunition ran low, and timely delivery by drones was hindered by fire impact and electronic warfare,' Ivan recounts.

Unfortunately, enemy stormtroopers began to advance on Nestrih, and although our fighters inflicted significant losses on the enemy, they had to retreat from this piece of land. During the retreat, a Russian shell hit near his comrades, and shrapnel injured Oleksandr. Ivan 'Koldun' emphasizes that under any circumstances, 'Zelenyi' knew how to maintain morale and inspire his comrades, even when they felt despair. 'Guys, it doesn't matter about the orcs! We will break through everywhere. We are Ukraine!' – the commander often repeated.

Roman Ovcharenko, a comrade of Kusharev known by the callsign 'Hotsa', also recalls that during the 'island' saga, Oleksandr personally sank at least two enemy boats, puncturing their sides and mowing down the landing party with a large-caliber Browning. His courage and determination became an example for many, and the memory of him will remain in the hearts of those who knew him.