A true hero never dies. Your legacy lives on
Yana Rykhlitska, a Lead IT Recruiter at Akvelon, was killed at the young age of 29 years old while she was trying to save the lives of her fellow Ukrainians on the frontlines in Bakmut, Ukraine on March 3rd, 2023.
She was volunteering as a paramedic to help evacuate and provide medical treatment to heavily wounded Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. She will be dearly missed by her family, her friends, and all of us here at Akvelon.
We are eternally grateful to the fallen heroes who fought for Ukraine
Yana Rykhlitska
Dear friends, colleagues, and partners,
It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you of the passing of Yana Rykhlitska. At just 29 years old, Yana was killed on Friday, March 3rd, 2023 while volunteering as a paramedic to help save the lives of her fellow Ukrainians. Please keep Yana’s family, friends, and fellow paramedics in your thoughts as they go through this incredibly difficult time.
For several years, Yana has been a talented and well-loved member of the Akvelon team. Her friends and colleagues knew her as an extremely positive person, with a brilliant energy that touched everyone around her. She loved animals, especially her cat, who she brought into our office in Kharkiv, Ukraine to work alongside her.
Yana excelled in her career as a Lead IT Recruiter at Akvelon, and she wanted to share her love of Akvelon with as many people as possible, leading to her bringing on so many talented technical professionals to join our team that she became one of our most productive recruiters across our company. Her devotion to helping others excel in their careers was inspiring, and she had a positive impact on many peoples’ lives.
From the very first day of the invasion of Ukraine, Yana chose to help in the fight for Ukraine’s freedom. She volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a paramedic, and she spent nearly an entire year on the frontlines of the war helping to save lives. She was determined to make a difference, volunteering 24/7 without taking off any holidays or weekends. She risked her life while evacuating and providing emergency treatment to heavily wounded soldiers and civilians. Even during the invasion, Yana’s love for helping others shone brightly.
Yana was also passionate about helping others through volunteering with the United with Ukraine fund. She was an instrumental member of this organization, ensuring that requests were verified, organized, and delivered. This organization helps Ukrainian medics save more lives, keeps Ukrainians on the frontlines alive and well, and helps internally displaced people and other most vulnerable groups in Ukraine survive during these unimaginable times. Just 3 months before her passing, Yana recorded this video to help raise more life-saving funds for the United with Ukraine organization.
We are eternally grateful to Yana for all that she sacrificed to help in the fight for Ukraine’s freedom. She was a true hero. We share our sincere condolences for her family and friends who are grieving her loss.
Artem Borodavka
We mourn the passing of Artem Borodavka, a 39-year-old Business Analyst at Akvelon, who was killed in action while defending Ukraine. He and four other soldiers bravely laid down their lives in a battle to liberate their home, the Kharkiv region in Ukraine.
Artem was a brave man who jumped straight to action - he volunteered to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the very first days of the war. When his colleagues and friends told him that they wished him to stay safe, he sardonically replied that this is "Not our main objective".
He wanted to be a soldier with the ultimate resolve and desire to help protect his country and his people, and that's exactly what he did.
We remember Artem as a cheerful, sincere, and sensitive person. To us, he is a hero and a true Ukrainian who protected his home until his last breath. He will always be in our hearts. We are eternally grateful to Artem and the other defenders for their love for their country, dedication, and unimaginable bravery in defending their Motherland.
We grieve the great sacrifices of this war as it takes the lives of the best,
the most talented, and the bravest of us.
We cannot find words strong enough to express our condolences and deepest sympathy to Artem's family and friends. Artem is survived by his mother Lyudmila. Akvelon has made arrangements to assist his family.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” John 15:13 (NIV).
Akvelon stands with Ukraine
Please consider donating to United With Ukraine so that we continue to provide critical aid to those who need it most: