On August 24, 2025, while carrying out a combat mission in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman Serhii Shyhotskyi, known by the call sign “Dancer,” was killed. He was 33 years old.
Serhii was born on October 3, 1991, in Kyiv. He studied at School No. 321 and, after graduating, enrolled at the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport, where he pursued a degree in choreography.
He devoted a significant part of his life to competitive ballroom dancing. For more than 15 years, he competed in national and international tournaments, representing Ukraine at prestigious events. At the peak of his athletic career, he danced alongside Maryna Onyshko and represented the Kyiv-based Fiesta Dance Club.
After retiring from active competition, Serhii became a coach. He taught ballroom dancing to children and young people in Kyiv, helping to nurture a new generation of Ukrainian athletes.
Dance was his profession, his passion, and the calling to which he dedicated himself wholeheartedly. It was his many years of experience on the dance floor that later earned him the call sign “Dancer” among his fellow soldiers.
Serhii joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine on February 24, 2025—the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion. He began his service as a rifleman with the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade and later transferred to the 22nd Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion, where he became an FPV drone pilot. He took part in combat operations in the Kursk region.
His comrades remember him as a man who never shied away from difficult assignments and was always ready to help others. During combat missions, he repeatedly destroyed enemy drones, helping to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Following one battle, he spent two days under constant shelling assisting in the evacuation of a fallen comrade’s body.
Later, Serhii underwent a major operation. After completing treatment, he had the opportunity to remain in the rear, but chose instead to return to his combat unit. He spent the final months of his service in the Donetsk region, particularly in the areas of Kramatorsk and Ivanopillia.
On August 24, 2025—exactly six months after joining the military—Serhii Shyhotskyi was killed as a result of an explosive injury while helping to save other servicemen.
On May 8, 2026, a memorial plaque in his honor was unveiled at Kyiv School No. 321, where Serhii Shyhotskyi had studied.
Eternal memory to the Hero.