November 25th 2023.
The final moments of Oleksandr Matsievskyi have gone viral, a symbol of resistance for the Ukrainian people. President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded him the 'Hero of Ukraine' medal for his bravery.
In the video shared in March, Matsievskyi can be heard saying 'Slava Ukraini' while standing in a wooded area smoking a cigarette. Before he has a chance to finish his final puff, he is then seen slumping to the ground in a hail of gunfire from unseen shooters.
Kyiv has opened a criminal investigation into his death, and his mother Paraska Demchuk was proud to show the medal that the president bestowed on her son. She said, “He would have taken all of them with him if he had a grenade. He would say to me 'Mum, I will never let them capture me'. It was on the inside, it was like a core inside him.”
The bravery of Oleksandr Matsievskyi has been commemorated with a statue in his hometown. Flowers lie next to the statue and many supporters on social media have posted the words 'Heroyam Slava', a traditional response to 'Slava Ukraini'. His selflessness and courage will serve as an example of resistance to Russian invasion for generations to come.
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