Andrii Koniaiev

29-year-old Azov fighter Andrii Koniaiev (call sign Jones) was killed during the night of July 29, 2022, in a terrorist attack in the temporarily occupied settlement of Olenivka, Donetsk region. He had been taken prisoner at the Azovstal.

Andrii was born in the city of Fastiv, Kyiv region. After graduating from School No. 10 and a local vocational college, he volunteered for the front in 2014 at the age of 21. Starting out in the “Kyivshchyna” volunteer unit, the young defender later joined the Azov Regiment and took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donetsk region, including the battles for Mariupol. Deeply passionate about history, Andrii often said he could never stand aside while his country was under attack. Physical training and reading remained pillars of his daily life, and in time, he also pursued studies at the Bila Tserkva Agrarian University.

One year before the full-scale invasion, Soldier Koniayev moved to Mariupol with his partner. There, the war found him once again. As a second-class sniper, Jones took part in the defense of the city and the Azovstal steel plant. He survived brutal combat and endured hellish conditions—but in captivity, russian forces murdered him along with nearly 50 fellow fighters in a deliberate prison bombing in Olenivka.

“He’s a hero no one can replace,” said his fiancée, Oksana. "Now his memory will stay with me far longer than the time we had together." ("We were together only briefly, but I’ll remember him for a lifetime.")

His remains were returned to Ukraine in a prisoner exchange. A farewell ceremony was held on May 23, 2023. Jones was laid to rest at the Alley of Glory in the International Cemetery in his hometown of Fastiv.

Andrii is survived by his parents, brother, daughter, and fiancée.

Source: Memorial

Contributors: Sophia Yakivtsiv and Tetiana Spindel (translators), Liena Shulika (designer)