Scientist and Defender Oleksii Holikov Killed on the Frontline

The Life and Work of Oleksii Holikov

According to Главком: Oleksii Holikov, a Ukrainian soldier and scholar, lost his life on the front lines on June 16, 2026, just shy of his 45th birthday. Born on June 28, 1981, in the town of Ukrainsk, Donetsk region, he graduated with honors from Secondary School No. 13 in Selydove, Donetsk region. He went on to earn a master's degree in Mining and Mineral Processing from Donetsk National Technical University. In 2013, he was awarded a PhD in Technical Sciences, specializing in mineral processing.

Contributions to Ukraine's Defense

Holikov held leadership roles at the Central Processing Plant Ukraine PJSC and served as an associate professor at the Department of Mineral Processing at Donetsk National Technical University. He also worked as a chief specialist in coal processing at the Svjato-Varvarynska Processing Plant LLC. In 2023, recognizing the urgent need to defend his homeland, he joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He fought to protect the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty on the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk fronts as part of the 23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces. For his bravery, he was awarded the Medal for the Defense of the Native State.

Oleksii Holikov is survived by his mother, brother and his family, an uncle, and other close relatives. He was laid to rest on June 25, 2026, at the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, in the Field of Honor (section No. 87, Pasichna Street). Every day at 9:00 AM, Ukrainians observe a moment of silence to honor all those whose lives have been taken by the Russian-Ukrainian war. Today, we remember Oleksii Holikov. Hlavkom joins in this minute of silence.

The death of Oleksii Holikov serves as yet another stark reminder of the heavy losses Ukraine continues to endure in the war that began in 2014.

His contributions to the defense of his country and his professional achievements in the field of mineral processing will ensure he is remembered fondly by his family and colleagues. Daily tributes to fallen Ukrainian defenders underscore the profound significance of their struggle for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.