Maksym Yemets

Maksym Yemets (; call sign "Yenot"; 21 September 1994 – 4 February 2025) was a Ukrainian poet, soldier, Major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war. He was a recipient of the Order for Courage, 3rd class and was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine (2025, posthumously).

Biography Maksym Yemets was born on 21 September 1994, in Staryi Kosiv, now part of the Kosiv Hromada in the Kosiv Raion of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine.

In his childhood, he participated in military-patriotic organizations, including UNA-UNSO and the Stepan Bandera Trident. Later, he was a member of the "Narodnyi Kontrol" public movement.

Maksym was raised by his mother, Nadiia Yemets, his grandmother, Mariia Yemets, and his grandfather, Valentyn Yemets.

He studied at the Kosiv boarding gymnasium and later at the Ivano-Frankivsk Stepan Hranat Financial and Commercial College.

Yemets was on the front lines from the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He first served in the Aidar Battalion, and from 4 August 2014, he was a gunner-operator in the 54th reconnaissance battalion.

In 2018, after completing leadership courses at the Odesa Military Academy, he was commissioned as a "junior lieutenant".

He was serving as a commander of a reconnaissance company in the 24th Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo at the time of the full-scale invasion. He fought in the battles for Popasna.

Creativity In 2025, a posthumous collection of poems, "Nashe ratne dilo ta rozdumy pro vichne", by Maksym Yemets was published. His fiancée, Oksana Rubaniak, known as "Ksena", worked on the collection.

Awards Hero of Ukraine with the award of the "Golden Star" order (2025, posthumously) Order for Courage, 3rd class (13 March 2022) Medal For Military Service to Ukraine (2 November 2016) Medal for Cross of Combat Merit (posthumously)