On July 3, 2023, Ukraine lost another defender and athlete—Junior Lieutenant Denys Boreiko, an international master of sport in fencing, Ukrainian champion, and medalist at the World and European Championships. He was 34 years old.
Denys dedicated his life to sports and mentoring young athletes. He began fencing at the age of 11 under the guidance of his first coach, Olha Leonova. He became the champion of Ukraine, won silver at the European Championship, and took bronze at the Junior World Championship as part of the national team. Beyond his personal achievements, he shared his experience with others, co-founding Ukraine’s first amateur fencing club, Liberte, together with his friend Ihor Semenenko.
From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Denys assisted the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense forces in Dnipro, actively engaging in volunteer efforts. In March 2022, he evacuated his parents abroad but chose to stay and voluntarily joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces. “I’ve made my decision. What if they reach Dnipro? We have to stop them,” he told his friends.
Striving for excellence in everything he did, Denys underwent training at a military institute, earned an officer’s rank, and was assigned to the 43rd Separate Artillery Brigade named after Hetman Taras Triasylo. He served as Deputy Battery Commander for Moral and Psychological Support. After training in Germany, he returned to prepare his subordinates for combat—their deployment to the front lines was imminent.
Tragedy struck on July 3, 2023, at the military base where Denys Boreiko was serving. He fell in the line of duty. On July 13, he was laid to rest at Krasnopillia Cemetery in Dnipro.