LPR military officer dies after long illness

2nd Guard Lugansk-Severodonetsk Army Corps regiment commander Colonel Sergey Grachyov who led the the Lugansk branch of the all-Russia Military Brotherhood has died after a critical illness, writer Gleb Bobrov told the Lugansk Media Center.

 

“When I last saw him six weeks ago, he complained about health problems,” Bobrov said adding that Grachyov had won the battle with cancer and suffered two heart attacks.  The writer recalled that Grachyov, when asked why he neglected his heart condition, replied, with a smile, that “taking (the town of) Popasnaya had priority at the time.”

 

A week ago, Grachyov fell into a coma after cerebral infarction. His death is a loss for the whole Republic, Bobrov said.

 

“Grachov was a living legend for the LPR. An Afghan war veteran, he immediately joined people’s “Russian Spring” protests and helped take a building of the Security Service of Ukraine. Bobrov launched the commandant’s service in a camp town, which later gained the strength of regiment. He has been with his unit all these nine years, from the assault of a borderguard facility to fighting for Metallist and Lugansk Airport. His regiment fought with distinction during the Debaltsevo operation where he was seriously wounded; he never hid behind the backs of his fighters,” he said.

 

As Russia launched the special military operation, his regiment fought on the frontline and ensured law and order in liberated areas. During lulls in hostilities, Grachyov worked as a volunteer driver to deliver humanitarian aid.

 

The 2nd Army Corps Command, the LPR Writers’ Union, and the all-Russia Military Brotherhood expressed their heartfelt condolences to Grachyov’s family and colleagues.

 

Sergey Grachyov was born in the town of Krasny Lunch in Ukraine’s Voroshilovgrad region in 1965. In 1983-1986 he served as a mobile team grenade launcher operator with Russia’s borderguard troops in Afghanistan. He was awarded with USSR, Russian Federation and LPR state decorations. *i*v