In battle against the invaders in Donetsk region, Ukraine lost a champion athlete and coach — International Master of Sport in rifle shooting, multiple national champion, and member of the Ukrainian national team, Oleksii Khabarov.
Born and raised in Horishni Plavni, he chose the path of an athlete from an early age. A graduate of the local Youth Sports School No. 1, Oleksii specialized in rifle shooting and quickly made his mark in Ukrainian sports. In 2017, he set a national record in the 10-meter air rifle, scoring a phenomenal 248.5 points in the final. He repeatedly stood on the highest steps of the podium, claiming victories at Ukrainian championships and Cups, and earning medals at international tournaments. As recently as November 2024, he won silver at an international tournament in Romania in the rifle mixed team event, competing alongside Mariia Sheinina.
But Oleksii did more than win medals — he nurtured the next generation. Founding the Phoenix Shooting Club in his hometown of Horishni Plavni, he passed on his skills to children and teenagers. His students had already become medalists at national championships, and for them he was more than just a coach — he was a mentor, a senior friend, and an example to follow.
In August 2023, when the country needed courage and defense, Oleksii made his choice: he traded his sports uniform for military fatigues and joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces. The precision and composure he had honed over years on the shooting range became his greatest assets on the front line.
Rifle shooting coach Hennadii Chapala remembers Oleksii: “He was sincere, honest, kindhearted, and genuine — both as an athlete and as my colleague in the Ukrainian Shooting Federation. As a coach, he created new ideas and projects within his Phoenix club. For his athletes, he was a true elder friend. His loss is a heavy blow for his family, friends, students, and the sports community of Poltava region and all of Ukraine.”
On August 19, 2025, during an engagement with the enemy near Shakhove in Donetsk region, the life of Oleksii Khabarov was cut short. Ukraine lost both a champion and a warrior. Yet his memory will endure — in his records, in the hearts of his students, and in the free country for which he gave his life.
Eternal memory. Heroes never die.