Oleksii "Vnuk" Rozental was a fan of the Dnipro football club and a member of the Avangard supporters' group.

Oleksii Yuriiovych Rozental was born on November 30, 1990, in Dnipro (formerly Dnipropetrovsk). He attended School No. 77 before enrolling in the Dnipropetrovsk College of Railway Transport, where he qualified as a technician for computer and intelligent systems and networks. In 2015, he graduated from the National Metallurgical Academy with a bachelor's degree in computer science.

He had been passionate about football since childhood, and in 2007, he began supporting Dnipro from the fan section. In 2012, he joined the Avangard group.

He participated in many football-related events during the heyday of the Ukrainian fan scene, as well as international clashes involving Dnipro. He always fought to the end, even when the opposition had a numerical advantage.

His teammates recall how, before a fight with Kryvbas fans, "Vnuk" insisted on standing in the front row. However, when they were just two or three meters from their opponents, someone stepped on the back of his sneaker at the worst possible moment, leaving him in the third row.

He loved techno music and attended raves. Later, his brothers-in-arms would recall how, even during the full-scale war, they would listen to techno with "Vnuk" in infantry dugouts.

In civilian life, he worked at the Computing Center of the Prydniprovska Railway. Not limiting himself to supporting the football club, he became one of the founders and first players of the Dnipro Rugby Club, which was formed by members of the fan movement. Oleksii played as a hooker and selflessly threw himself into tackles and tough plays. Due to a serious injury, he was forced to end his playing career, but he remained close to the team.

After the start of the full-scale war, he took up arms as part of the 98th Territorial Defense Battalion "Azov-Dnipro." Later, he continued his service in the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. He served as a grenadier and machine gunner, enduring the most intense infantry battles. He constantly developed his skills, becoming an expert in operating AGS and MK19 grenade launchers, and later mastered the use of UAVs, destroying the enemy with the same zeal.

"Vnuk" fought on the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk fronts, participating in the battles for Bakhmut and Avdiivka. His brothers-in-arms remember Oleksii as always kind and smiling, yet at the same time a courageous and strong fighter. He was the soul of the unit. During his service, he was awarded the Steel Cross, the Golden Cross, the Cross of Valor, the Knight's Cross medal, and the Order for Courage, 3rd Class. According to his family, he wanted to go to the seaside after the war.

Oleksii Rozental was killed on September 1, 2025, while performing a combat mission in the village of Cherneshchyna in the Kharkiv region. He is buried at the Krasnopilskyi Military Cemetery in his hometown. He was posthumously awarded the Order for Courage, 2nd Class, and the Combatant Cross badge.

Eternal honor to the Hero!

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