Oleksiy Tyunin

Oleksii Viacheslavovych Tiunin , callsign Dukh (Spirit), is a Ukrainian serviceman, veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian War, and captain of the Ukrainian national team at the 2025 Invictus Games. From 2023 to 2024, he served in the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade. He is a co-founder of the non-governmental organization “Gentlemen”, which focuses on veteran rehabilitation through adaptive sports.

Biography

Oleksii Tiunin was born in Tallinn, Estonia. At the age of 4, he moved with his parents to Ukraine, to the village of Katerynivka in Kharkiv Oblast, where he attended school.

In 2004, he enrolled in an automotive-road technical college. From 2007 to 2008, he served his mandatory military service in the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade. In 2008, he moved to Kharkiv, where he worked in trade. The team (35 participants) competed in traditional and winter sports; Tyunin participated in wheelchair basketball (winning the first game). He was elected captain by vote for his motivation. The organization focuses on veteran rehabilitation through adaptive sports (wheelchair rugby, wheelchair rugby league). The “Gentlemen” team held its first training on April 1, 2025, and played a match on April 5 (winning in the Super League).