Maxim Mulchanov, the soldier who was killed in the ramming attack at the Maccabim checkpoint last week, is laid to rest Tuesday evening at the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. About a thousand people came to the funeral of Mulchanov, a lone soldier who immigrated as a teenager from Ukraine, after a public call went out on social media urging people to come and "salute him on his last journey." Mulchanov 's parents also came to Israel to accompany their son to eternal rest.
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Many of the funeral participants did not know Mulchanov, but came to pay their last respects. Among others, Knesset members Gilad Kariv, Sharon Nir, Ze'ev Elkin and Oded Forer, Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer, and Herzliya Mayor Moshe Padlon also attended the funeral.
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The parents of killed lone soldier Maxim Mulchanov arrived from Ukraine to attend his funeral
(Photo: Moti Kimchi )
Mulchanov's commander eulogized him. "Maxim enlisted in a combat unit to fulfill a dream; he was a powerful fighter who protects his people with a tremendous sense of mission." He turned to the soldier's parents: "Yevgeni and Risa, you sent a child here, you did a great job raising him, I apologize for not bringing him back safely." He also said that "Maxim was an angel in human form - kind-hearted, caring and full of concern for others. You were a lesson to all of us. Now everyone has already heard about the bone marrow donation you made at the end of your basic training. Thank you for teaching us what true love is. With a huge smile and a huge heart, you accepted and loved everyone. Know that you have left a mark in this world."
Mulchanov's friend from his unit, Eitan Aliev, told Ynet Live this morning that "the company is still trying to digest what happened. He was a real warrior, both our unit, the 411th, and the 282nd brigade loved him very much. He was always a person who helps others, it always comes when it's hard, and six months ago he even donated bone marrow to a 12-year-old that he didn't even know."
Aliev noted that "even after Maxim donated the bone marrow, he immediately wanted to return to the unit, continue to serve and be useful to us in the operational missions. This is a great loss for all of us." Aliev also said that the company is in contact with Mulchanov's family.
"His family remained in Ukraine, but he lived with his brother who lives in Herzliya. Maxim enlisted in May 2022, after taking a Hebrew language course. There is not a single person in the unit who did not love his smile and his giving and being in his presence. We would wake up with his smile in the morning. Mostly we will try strengthen the family as much as possible and help them.
Omri Daniel, who was Mulchanov's commander during his training, described his trainee. "Maxim was truly one of the few people that, no matter what moment in training, whether it was a white night, whether it was crawling, whether it was a jump, whether it was a long stint at the base, really, he never showed even an iota of difficulty, didn't show even an iota of homesickness. He was an endless smiler who never stopped smiling, showed free love every day and every hour, just wanted to contribute and represented both the unit and the brigade with respect ."
Daniel also noted that Mulchanov was upset by the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year and the resulting war. "The war was very close to his heart, he tried many times to call home, but because his parents lived in the heart of the war, he was usually unable to reach them. We tried to allow him to use his phone even during the hours when the soldiers were not allowed to have their phones and help him as much as possible."
Both serving and former lone soldiers planned to be present at Mulchanov 's funeral as a symbol of unity with him. Some were volunteers at the "Big Brother for Lone Soldiers" organization and had known and supported Mulchanov prior to his military service. They remained by his side throughout his recruitment process, basic training, and his tenure as a combatant.