Maxim Kagal, the world champion in kickboxing, died in the battles for Mariupol/Collage 24 Channels
Steel is a word painfully prickling under the ribs of every Ukrainian. The defenders of Mariupol were not taken by bullets, their will was not broken by hunger. They completed all the tasks and received a new one – to save lives. The price of resilience is already too high – the best of the best fell on Azovstal.
- 1Despite numerous awards, he was an ordinary guy: a friend's story about Maxim Kagal
- 2Love for the Motherland was stronger than sports ambitions
- 3Callsign “Piston”: the military did not have easy victories
- 430 years lived like in 90 – the fighter did not miss a single minute of his life
- 5He defended Mariupol to the last
- 6Maxim died, as he wanted, with a weapon in his hands
- 7The will and greatest dream of a fighter will be realized by friends
- 8The Mariupol Defenders Regiment are people who had everything for a happy life, but went to war
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- 9To a worthy opponent, a worthy adversary: Russia is waging genocide, not war
More than 200 bodies have already been handed over to Ukraine, and the same number are still under the ruins of the factory-fortress. The dead are being identified. It is not yet known what among them is the military man, in whose honor this text is, the hero of Ukraine, the world champion in kickboxing Maxim Kagal. Relatives hope to meet Maxim as soon as possible in order to bury him properly. In the meantime, they want the light of his soul to be known.
Maxim Kagal, the world champion in kickboxing, had a brilliant career and potential in sports, but chose the path of a warrior. Defended the Motherland as part of the regiment of defenders of Mariupol. On March 25, he was killed by a Russian airstrike while defending the city.
Despite numerous awards, he was an ordinary guy: a friend's story about Maxim Kagal We spoke in complete silence, stopping occasionally to comprehend the loss and pain.
Maxim is my closest friend, he was like a brother to me. This is a very worthy person. World champion in kickboxing, candidate master of sports. At one time, he was the first one from the regiment to receive the “beret with honors” award – this is a solid award of the National Guard of Ukraine, – says Olena.
Maxim Kagal won the award of the National Guard “beret with honors”/Photo of the National Guard
Love for the Motherland was stronger than sports ambitions
On July 5, Maxim should turn 31 year, he is from the city of Kremenchug. According to a friend, despite numerous awards, he was an ordinary guy who loved life and sports. Subsequently, love for the Motherland became stronger than love for sports. Either the need to protect Ukraine was felt too acutely. So Maxim changed his sports career to a military one.
Maxim joined the Mariupol Defenders Regiment in July 2015. Subsequently, he graduated from the sergeant courses in the regiment and became a senior sergeant. This was the man who was followed, who was listened to. He was a worthy commander of his unit, – says Elena.
Maxim now personified sports ambitions differently – he was a representative from the regiment at all possible competitions held by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard: boxing, crossfit, running, competitions with obstacles.
“He was a man-sun. I want to talk about such people,” adds a friend.
Maxim Kagal has been professionally involved in sports since the age of 15/Photo courtesy of the editors of Channel 24
Call sign “Piston”: the military had no easy victories
Maxim was the call sign “Piston”. Elena says that everyone in the regiment knew that if Piston competes, he wins them. The guy was a pride for everyone.
On the eve of a full-scale invasion, on February 8, Elena came to Mariupol and saw Maxim. That's when they talked about his invincible glory.
I told him: “You know some guys don't want to compete when they know you will. Because it's obvious Piston will win.”
I win not because I was born like that, but because I make every effort. For each competition – big or small – I make every effort, and prepare for it, – answered Maxim.
< p dir="ltr">So in battle, “Piston” made every effort to hold back the advance of the Russians, to save brothers, to protect civilians.
Maxim Kagal at the competition/Photo by Ukrinform
Maxim and his brothers participated in various competitions/Photos provided by the editors of Channel 24< /em>
In addition to participating in inter-service competitions, Maxim trained kickboxing and crossfit guys on the basis of the regiment. Elena recalls that there were 30 fighters in groups.
“A good athlete is not always a good coach. However, Maxim had success here too. He managed to train well”, the girl adds.
He lived 30 years like in 90 – the fighter did not miss a minute of his life
Maxim also spent his leisure time actively – hiking in the mountains, trips, everything possible activities and meeting friends.
He is such a person that in 30 years I don’t have such acquaintances – these 30 years he lived his life like in 90 years. Almost every weekend he has competitions, other weekends he prepares for competitions. When he had vacations, he always went to the mountains with twin brothers – in winter or summer – they always passed two thousandths, – Elena said.
I remember if Maxim had the opportunity to come to Kyiv , they had time “to go kayaking, to go around the city on a bicycle, and to go to the museum”.
Maxim Kagal loved active leisure, and most of all, hiking in the mountains/Photo courtesy of Channel 24
“He was a very cool person… On March 25, 2022, he died from an airstrike near Azovstal. Now his body is there,” says Elena.
For personal courage and heroism, Senior Lieutenant Maxim Kagal was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star . Posthumously.
Many bodies are still under the rubble, we are waiting for them all to be dug up and brought back. It depends more on the other side, on Russia. This is a very big loss. It is important for Ukraine, military and civilians, to say goodbye to every Ukrainian soldier, to see him on his last journey, – Elena emphasized.
Mariupol defended to the last
Maksim Kagal died when heavy fighting was going on in the city. Elena suggests that the Russians attacked especially brutally because they received the appropriate order.
Bombs broke through three-story bunkers, they were super powerful. As far as we know, they even reopened the bombs that were last used during the fighting in Afghanistan. Despite the fact that there (in the Azovstal bunkers) there are indeed very thick walls, they were still pierced. – the girl said.
Elena knows about this from the stories of the man – he is also the defender of Mariupol, together with Maxim was at Azovstal. He was wounded and was evacuated along with other defenders to Russian-controlled territory. The last time Elena's man got in touch was on May 5th. The loss of Maxim is hard for both of them.
Maxim died, as he wanted, with a weapon in his hands
Maxim Kagal died in battle. He was not taken by bullets, but during the assault on the positions of our military on the outskirts of Mariupol, an aerial bomb fell next to the soldier. She ended his life.
He died the way he wanted – with a weapon in his hands. This is a very honorable death for him. For us, this is a painful loss. A very big loss, because such people are one in a million, I'm not afraid to say this. We always thought – that's who, and he will definitely survive, because he is so athletic, he always ran all the competitions first. I always joked that it takes longer to drive a car than he runs. But, unfortunately, the bomb did not leave him a chance, – Elena said.
friends
In honor of Maxim, friends want to open a sports hub in the fighter's hometown, in Kremenchug. They say that it was important for him that all children, regardless of the financial support of their parents, have the opportunity to play sports and develop.
Fulfillment of the will of a fighter, the realization of his dreams helps to survive the loss. However, it is still difficult and painful for Elena to believe in her.
It is still very difficult for me to understand that I will not see him, that he will not come, that we won't spend time the same. We were going to go with him to watch the whales – we did not have time. We used to have a dream to see the Northern Lights, and we realized it with three more fighters in 2020. – the girl shares.
Remembering the dreams of the fighters of the Mariupol Defenders Regiment, Elena could not help but comment on Russian propaganda trying to disfigure their faces, calling them “Nazis and thugs”.
I just remember how these guys were floundering in the snow, throwing snowballs at each other, how sincere people they are. It seems to me that if once you had contact with a soldier of the regiment, communicated, you will never think badly about them. Even now there is a video of how they sheltered animals at Azovstal, fed them, not having anything to eat themselves. These are really very worthy people,” Olena admits.
The Mariupol Defenders Regiment are people who had everything for a happy life, but go to war
Listening to Elena's story about Maxim, I asked her if she knew why, with such prospects in sports and an active life, he decided to become a military man. In response, the girl smiled calmly and noticed that not only Maxim had chosen such a fate. Most of the guys from the Mariupol garrison have successful businesses, careers, families. But in 2014, they went on the defensive, not waiting for the war to come to them in the city.
Maxim was one of those people who understood if do not go to the East and do not resist the enemy, then the war will come to the entire territory of Ukraine. Maxim went to war, like his brothers, because the defense of the Motherland, the duty to the Motherland is much more important for them than their personal lives, the girl emphasized.
But he adds that they understood that sooner or later a full-scale war would begin. The regiment had been preparing for this for 8 years. Elena recalls that commander Denis Prokopenko always met anyone who wanted to look at life, at the training ground, at the training of fighters, and everyone was always pleasantly surprised by their level of training.
Maxim considered the defense of the Motherland his duty/Photo courtesy of the editors of Channel 24
“The guys were constantly training, they went through landings and infantry dives. All these 8 years they understood that the enemy was very close, and sooner or later there would be a full-scale war,” – Elena says.
A worthy opponent is a worthy adversary: Russia is waging not a war, but a genocide
However, the girl notices that, unfortunately, what is happening now can hardly be called a war. Russia's actions are genocide.
Not a single building survived in Mariupol – they just bombarded peaceful people with heavy bombs – this is not a military tactic. I think a worthy opponent needs a worthy opponent, – Elena adds.
The girl notes that the guys at Azovstal held the defense and fought until the last day. Having almost no ammunition, they blew up the enemy and enemy equipment.
“The guys didn't just sit in bunkers – they fought as much as possible,” adds Elena.
< p> It is this full return that is the principle of warfare by the Ukrainian military. This is exactly what Maxim Kagal was like – he waged war according to the rules of a worthy military man. Against him came those who do not know them, from dignity in which there is nothing. An adversary who knows neither rules nor principles is only a thirst for murder and capture.
We are on our own land and despite the darkness of the soul of the enemy, the light of the souls of our defenders is an unprecedented force. In the end, we will stop death, pay for the terrible losses. And we will forever remember the price of free breathing and the color of the nation that the Russians took from us.
Eternal memory to the hero of Ukraine Maxim Kagal! Our hearts are in sorrow. Condolences to the family and friends of the fighter. This is a heavy loss for every Ukrainian.
