Oleksandr KOT

Oleksandr Kot was born in the village of Prudjanka in the Kharkiv region and lived in the village of Slatyne. In 2017, he graduated from the Kharkiv State Transport College.

He worked as a track layer of the 4th category in the production unit "Kharkiv Track Distance" of the Southern Railway, where his father and brother also worked. It was his father who instilled in Oleksandr a love for the railway, and the young man wished to continue the family dynasty of railway workers.

In November 2022, Oleksandr was already injured. At that time, on the section between Kozacha Lopan and Slatyne, he and other workers from the Kharkiv Track Distance were clearing the right-of-way and cutting bushes. One of the guys triggered a booby trap left by the occupiers, resulting in an explosion that injured three railway workers.

Friends recall that Oleksandr was a kind-hearted young man who loved his family, was respected among his peers, and engaged in sports. Colleagues knew Oleksandr as a disciplined worker with an active life stance.

The head of the primary trade union organization of the Kharkiv Track Distance, Oleksandr Chursin, said: "He was cheerful, full of life, and passionate about sports. Together with his brother, he attended mixed martial arts classes. He always participated in sports events held among the workers of the distance. Oleksandr was an excellent football and volleyball player."

25-year-old Oleksandr Kot died at his workplace on April 30, 2024, when the enemy shelled the Kharkiv-Sortuvalny railway station with shells. At that time, the railway worker was in the household premises of the 2nd outpost and sustained multiple shrapnel wounds that were incompatible with life.

Oleksandr is survived by his wife, son, parents, and brother.

The team at the Kharkiv Track Distance is deeply saddened by Oleksandr's death at work. We express our heartfelt condolences to his wife, son, parents, and brother, who share the pain of this irreparable loss.