10 days before his 26th birthday, Denys Ponomarenko was killed in fierce battles with the occupiers in Kyiv region.
He was born in Chernihiv. He graduated from the Chernihiv Professional Lyceum of Railway Transport. His mother says that her son was a versatile person: he was fond of numismatics and wood carving, but sport always held a unique position in his life. Denys took up hand-to-hand combat at the “Chernihiv Shchyt” club, where he later became a coach. In addition to training, he helped organise competitions and children’s camps. He was also an instructor at military training courses for civilians.
The desire to connect his life with the military was influenced by the example of his father, who was a border guard. As a child, Denys was always waiting for his father to take him to the training ground or shooting range. So, at the age of 19, he completed a course for young soldiers in Azov and served as a paramedic near Mariupol for two years.
On 19 February 2022, Denys went with his pupils to the Ukrainian Children’s Championship, where they took a lot of medals, and when they returned home, the war started. Without waiting for a call, he immediately went to his comrades who were in Kyiv region, where fierce fighting was going on. Denys was a paramedic, rescuing his comrades and remaining faithful to his oath to the last. But unfortunately, on 16 March 2022, 25-year-old Denys “Ascet” Ponomarenko died while trying to evacuate the wounded near the village of Moshchun in Kyiv region. There were 10 days left before his 26th birthday…
On 21 March 2024, a competition for children and teenagers in athletics and general physical training was held at the “Yunist” Stadium in Chernihiv in memory of the Hero. The tournament programme included exercises that Denys loved the most.