The war claimed the life of a warrior and an athlete. On 5 February 2026, kickboxer and UAV operator Mykola Litovchenko, known by the call sign Povar (“Cook”), was killed on the front line. He was only 28.
The Hero was born on 18 August 1997 in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region. The full-scale war forced his family to leave their native home. In 2023, Mykola and his loved ones moved to Irpin — a city that had endured the hell of the Russian invasion yet stood unbroken. And he stood with it.
From an early age, Mykola Litovchenko devoted himself to martial arts. From 2008 to 2013, he trained at the Eastern Ukrainian branch of the World Kung Fu School “Dragon and Tiger” under the guidance of coach Denys Chuchyn. By the age of sixteen, he had already achieved outstanding success in kickboxing — twice standing atop the podium at the Junior World Championship in Athens, earning gold medals and the title of Master of Sports.
In June 2025, Mykola joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as a drone operator in the 81st Separate Airmobile Slobozhanska Brigade of the Air Assault Forces — a role that demanded a cool head, lightning-fast reflexes, and nerves of steel, qualities he had forged through years of sport.
His wife, Nataliia, recalls: “He was kind, cheerful, and sincere. He loved to cook, and among his brothers-in-arms his call sign was ‘Cook.’ On 22 February, we were meant to celebrate six years together.”
Mykola Litovchenko gave his life while carrying out a combat mission in the Lyman direction of Donetsk region on 5 February 2026.
He is survived by his wife, his parents, and his younger brother — a family for whom he was a pillar of strength.
Eternal memory to the Defender of Ukraine.