Thousands attend funeral of lone soldier killed in terror attack
Many of the funeral participants did not know Molchanov, but came to pay their last respects.
Maxim Molchanov, the soldier who was killed in the ramming attack at the Maccabim checkpoint last week was laid to rest on Tuesday at the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. About a thousand people came to the funeral of Molchanov, a lone soldier who immigrated as a teenager from Ukraine after the public was invited on social media to come and "salute him on his last journey." Molchanov's parents also came to Israel to attend the funeral.
Many of the funeral participants did not know Molchanov personally but came to pay their last respects. Among others, Knesset members Gilad Karib, Sharon Nir, Ze'ev Elkin and Oded Forer, Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer, and Herzliya Mayor Moshe Padlon also came to the cemetery.
Molchanov's friend from the company, Eitan Aliev, told Ynet on Tuesday that "the company is still trying to digest what happened. He was a real warrior, both our battalion, the 411th battalion, and the 282nd brigade loved him very much. He was always a person who helped others. Six months ago he donated bone marrow to a 12-year-old boy he didn't know."
Aliev noted that "even after Maxim donated the bone marrow, he immediately wanted to return to the company, continue to serve, and be useful to us in operational missions. This is a great loss for all of us." Aliev also said that the company is in contact with Molchanov'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 course."There is not a single person in the [artillery] battery who did not like his smile, his giving, and did not like being in his presence," Aliev said. "We would wake up with his smile in the morning. Mostly we will try to strengthen the family as much as possible and help them."
Soldier's family suffer Ukraine war
Omri Daniel, Molchanov’s commander in boot camp also noted that Molchanov was bothered by the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, with the Russian invasion last year. "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 give him a phone call even during the hours when the other fighters were not [permitted] and help him as much as possible."
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