18 March 2025

March 18, 2014 — The First Ukrainian Soldier Killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War: Serhii Kokurin

Eleven years ago, while defending his military unit, the first Ukrainian serviceman of the Russo-Ukrainian war—36-year-old logistics service chief of the 13th Photogrammetric Center of the Central Military Topographic and Navigation Directorate of the Main Operational Support Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Kokurin—was killed by Russian occupiers.

On March 18, 2014, the Russian occupation administration, disguised as the so-called “Crimean Self-Defense” and led by Igor Girkin, launched an assault on the 13th Photogrammetric Center in Simferopol. Armed with AK-74 rifles and shotguns, the occupiers carried out the attack while supported by two military vehicles displaying the Russian tricolor.

During the assault, Serhii Kokurin was stationed at the watchtower of the military unit, documenting the occupiers’ actions and coordinating defense. Russian forces opened fire, shooting him twice with 5.45 mm rounds from the ground, fatally wounding him. Almost immediately, the occupiers attempted to distort reality, spreading propaganda that a so-called “Right Sector sniper” had allegedly shot the Ukrainian soldier.

Serhii Kokurin was the first victim of the new Russo-Ukrainian war, killed by the Russians for his loyalty to the oath. His sacrifice serves as a reminder that Russian aggression did not begin in 2022—it has been ongoing since 2014. And already in March of that year, in Ukrainian Crimea, it was no longer just “hybrid”—it involved real gunfire, blood, and death.

For his personal bravery and heroism in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Serhii Kokurin was posthumously awarded the Order For Courage III degree by the Decree of the President of Ukraine on July 19, 2014.

In December 2015, a monument honoring fallen military topographers was unveiled at the Photogrammetric Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Odesa, featuring a memorial plaque dedicated to Serhii Kokurin.

His story is not just about the past—it is about the present. For 11 years, Ukrainians have been fighting for the liberation of Crimea, and its residents—both those forced to leave and those who remained—continue this struggle.