"PANAMA"

He fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Kharkiv fronts. When he told commanders the names of the towns and villages where he had assaulted positions or held the line, everyone was always surprised—because he had been almost everywhere. He held the defense for more than a month while encircled near Kharkiv. He took part in assaults in Kurylivka, Zaitseve, the village of Olhivka, Solodke, Kamianka (Kharkiv Region), Krasnopillia, Studenok, Mazanivka, Synkivka, Maiorsk, Pavlivka, Yehorivka, Dolyna, in Vuhledar, near Kreminna, in Kupiansk, and in many other places. In June 2023, Danylo became the commander of an air assault company of an air assault battalion of the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade. He was an exemplary commander. As his brothers-in-arms recalled, Danya always cared for his men and treated everyone with understanding. In extremely harsh circumstances, he managed to preserve honor and decency. He had been through hell a thousand times, and under his command not a single position was abandoned. He was a very brave warrior. Danylo loved many things. He especially loved traveling, reading books about war to improve his knowledge, and swimming. He practiced wrestling and rugby and watched many films. He loved spending time with those close to him and loved his family endlessly. He adored spontaneous decisions and adventures—this is what made him special. As a commander, he always taught his men everything he knew himself, always listened, supported them, and even when he was allowed to go home, he did not always leave, because he would say: “Here, people’s lives are at stake, and they need me.” He always considered Ukraine the best and was very proud to be Ukrainian, to have been born here and to live here. Danya very much wanted to visit the Scandinavian countries and Georgia. He admired the culture, history, and bravery of those countries because he believed they were very similar to our Ukraine. But… his fate turned out differently… Remaining faithful to the military oath, Danylo Ponomarenko was killed on October 1, 2023, near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv Region, after sustaining injuries incompatible with life. He is survived by his beloved fiancée and a large, loving family.