Athlete and warrior. He laid down his life for his native land, shielding his brothers-in-arms. Oleksandr Borovskyi belonged to that generation of Ukrainian athletes whose professional careers were severed by war. Tall, athletic, and tempered by the spirit of sports, he was a natural leader both on the volleyball court and on the field of battle.
Oleksandr was born in the settlement of Luhyny in the Zhytomyr region. He began his professional journey in Rivne while studying at the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE). He played for the “Patriot” top-flight volleyball club, where he earned the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. Beyond volleyball, Oleksandr was seriously involved in boxing and track and city. His participation in the annual “Honoring Warriors, Running for the Heroes of Ukraine” marathon was not merely a tradition, but a profound expression of civic duty long before he joined the ranks of the defenders himself.
Upon completing his studies, Oleksandr chose the path of a professional soldier. He served under contract at the 142nd Training Center of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) and later in the 99th Separate Management and Support Battalion of the Special Operations Forces in Brovary. He served as a scout.
During the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr, known by the call sign “Jafar,” defended his country within the 254th Battalion of the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade. As an experienced serviceman, he initially served as a combat training instructor, but by May 2023, as a rifleman-operator, he was directly engaged in combat in the Bakhmut direction.
In early June 2023, the intensity of the fighting near Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region reached its peak. By then, Oleksandr was already commanding an assault group. His commander, Ihor Kolomiiets—who in civilian life was the president of the “Dnipro” volleyball club—recalls that even at the front, Oleksandr never abandoned his thoughts of sports and dreamed of training with the team upon his return.
On June 7, 2023, during an assault, Borovskyi’s group captured an enemy position and took prisoners. However, the enemy launched a counterattack with significantly superior forces: over 40 occupiers moved against 10 of our soldiers. In this critical situation, Oleksandr made a decision that saved the lives of his group. He ordered his men to withdraw while he remained behind to provide cover. Occupying a position with a machine gun, “Jafar” held back the enemy’s advance until an FPV drone struck his trench.
Oleksandr Borovskyi remains forever 25. For his exceptional courage, he was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” 3rd Class, and the Medal “For Sacrifice and Love for Ukraine.”
In April 2026, the third Memorial in Oleksandr’s honor took place in the Zhytomyr region. To his family—his parents and sister—he remains a devoted son and brother. To Ukraine, he is one of the “Angels of Sport,” who traded his own life for the lives of his comrades.
Eternal memory to the Hero.