The anti-terrorist operation to liberate Siverskodonetsk from Russian militants on July 22, 2014, was led by the commander of the Kryvyi Rih Separate Brigade for the Protection of Public Order, Colonel of the National Guard of Ukraine, Oleksandr Vitaliyovich Radievsky. He was one of the first to enter the city.

The next day, July 23, 2014, Oleksandr Radievskyi was killed in battle during the liberation of neighboring Lysychansk, when he and his soldiers were ambushed by the enemy on a bridge. In that fierce battle, covering Oleksandr Vitaliyovich, the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Pavlo Snitsar, and a rifleman of the 1st Patrol Company, Private Ihor Kotsiar, also died.

Oleksandr Vitaliyovych Radievsky was born on May 9, 1970 in the city of Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region. He lost his parents early and was raised by his grandparents. The future officer showed leadership qualities while studying at Kryvyi Rih secondary school No. 104. As a cadet, he had to be involved in the “hot spots” of the former USSR – Transcaucasia and Central Asia.

In independent Ukraine, Oleksandr served in law enforcement units, working his way up from patrol platoon commander to chief of staff - deputy commander of the patrol battalion of the Simferopol separate brigade of internal and convoy security troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in 1991 - 1998. He was a demanding commander, but very attentive to the urgent problems of his subordinates.

Colonel Radievsky had considerable authority among his subordinates, primarily because he went into battle ahead of them. In particular, he personally led special operations to neutralize terrorist checkpoints on the approaches to the settlements of Mykolaivka, Semenivka, and Sloviansk. He spent a total of two and a half months in the anti-terrorist operation area at the head of the unit.

On July 23, 2015, a monument to Major General Oleksandr Radievsky was solemnly unveiled in the city of Siverskodonetsk, which was damaged after the capture of the city by the occupation forces.

Heroes do not die! We remember and are grateful to Oleksandr Radievsky for the liberation of Siverskodonetsk