A fallen pilot from Cherkasy region was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine

On July 8, 2023, by the Decree of the President of Ukraine, for personal bravery and heroism demonstrated in the defense of Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for their dedicated service to the Ukrainian people, three military pilots of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, along with the Order of the "Golden Star."

Among them was pilot Yevhen Lysenko from Cherkasy. Symbolically, he received the title of Hero on his birthday.

Major Yevhen Lysenko was a pilot in the 204th Sevastopol Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Air Force. He was born on July 8, 1994, in the village of Rotmistrivka, Cherkasy Oblast.

He graduated from the Kyiv Military Lyceum named after I. Bohun in 2008 and the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Yevhen Lysenko tragically lost his life on March 9, 2022, during an aerial battle with two Russian fighter jets between the villages of Novopil and Okilok. The 27-year-old Ukrainian pilot successfully downed a Russian aircraft but was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire, causing his MiG-29 fighter to catch fire. Instead of ejecting, he directed his aircraft into a field on the outskirts of the village, away from inhabited areas.

The residents of Novopil and Okilok, whose lives were saved by the pilot at the cost of his own, were deeply moved by this tragedy. After some time, they began collecting signatures to award Yevhen Lysenko the title of "Hero of Ukraine."

Additionally, they raised funds for his family, as Yevhen left behind two young children. At the time of the tragedy, his daughter Liz, the older of the two, was three years old, while the younger one, Yegor, was just seven months old.

A memorial plaque was placed at the site of the pilot's death in his honor.