Born on November 6, 1987 in the city of Chuguiv. In 2002, he graduated from the 9th grade of Chuguiv comprehensive school No. 1 and continued his studies at the Chuguiv-Babchansky forestry technical school. Due to family circumstances, he was unable to graduate and for the next almost ten years he worked at LLC "LHZ "PRIME" as an operator, and later as a security guard in private security agencies.
Due to his health condition, Serhiy was unable to perform military service, although he repeatedly applied to military commissariats. In July 2014, he once again applied to the Chuguiv Unified District Military Commissariat, and based on the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 21.07.2014 No. 607 "On Partial Mobilization" he was called up for military service under mobilization for a special period.
For a year, he served in the 45th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion as a reconnaissance assistant grenade launcher of a reconnaissance platoon that guarded the airfield in the city of Chuguiv. Later, some of the servicemen, including Serhiy Yakuba, were sent to the zone of the Anti-Terrorist Operation.
After the contract expired, in September 2015, Serhiy was discharged to the reserve and over the following years, until the start of a full-scale war, he continued to work as a security guard for private security agencies.
The full-scale war did not leave him aside, and in July 2022, Serhiy was again voluntarily mobilized by the Chuguiv RTCC and SP and sent to do military service as part of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodny Yar". As part of the brigade, he performed combat missions in the area of the city of Bakhmut.
During his five months of service, Serhiy received two shrapnel wounds and contusions, which negatively affected his health. He spent some time at home, and later, in 2024, he returned to military service and served as part of the 211th separate battalion of the 122nd separate brigade of the 122nd brigade (A 4270) as a grenade launcher of the 2nd detachment of the 2nd platoon of the 1st special company.
The battalion where Serhiy Yakuba served took part in the defense of settlements close to the city of Pokrovsk in 2024. According to operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in early January 2025, the Defense Forces of Ukraine began active offensive operations in some areas in the Kursk region, which became part of the strategy to create a «buffer zone» and deter the Russian Federation’s offensive on the Sumy region. Therefore, some units of the 122nd Separate Brigade of the Military District, including the 211th Separate Battalion of the Military District, were transferred to the north to strengthen border defense in the Sumy region under the command of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade «Magura».
Circumstances of death:
The unit where Serhiy Yakuba served held its positions, resisting attempts by the DRG to break through and shelling from the Russian Federation. Periodically, local attacks were carried out in the area of responsibility of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade. According to operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on January 5, 2025 alone, in the Kursk direction, the enemy stormed the positions of our defenders 33 times, carried out 336 artillery shelling, 17 air strikes, dropping 25 anti-aircraft missiles. Fire damage was also inflicted using FPV drones. It was from this day, 01/05/2025, that Serhiy Yakuba was considered missing on the outskirts of the settlement of Leonidovo, Kursk region. He was tasked with helping his comrades evacuate the wounded. Fire damage was inflicted along the route of his movement. The FPV drone hit Serhiy directly, and therefore his body was not found. On January 10, 2025, the family received Notification No. 190 stating that their son was considered missing while performing a combat mission.
For over a year, relatives believed that Serhiy was alive and would return home. For almost a year, the mother remembered her son's words: "Mom, if I don't get in touch for a long time, look at the sky. I will also look at them. They are the same - what is above you, what is above me. We will communicate with you through them. They will definitely tell you - where I am." The mother remembered these words of her son and looked at the stars, begged them to tell her son that she was waiting for him, but her hopes were dashed on 06.02.2026. On this day, the mother received notification No. 1005 that her son, based on the Resolution on Establishing the Identity of the Deceased dated 06.02.2026, died while performing combat missions related to the defense of the Motherland.
Serhiy Yakub was buried on February 17, 2026 in the city of Chuguev on the Alley of Memory with full military honors.
The deceased soldier is survived by his mother and older brother.
02/10/2026 By order No. 952 of the commander of the 47th separate mechanized brigade "Magura", Serhiy Yakuba was awarded the brigade's honorary distinction "Breastplate of the 3rd degree of the 47th separate mechanized brigade "Magura".
