Born on October 13, 1999 in the city of Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region. From childhood, Makar was very interested in everything related to military affairs: weapons, explosives, means of destruction, tactics. All games and books were related to the war. Makar's older brother, Anton Yerofeyev, participated in the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014.
In Makar's childhood, his family moved from Kamyansk to Pidhorodne, Dnipropetrovsk region. At the age of 9, he began playing hockey professionally and played for the Dnipropetrovsk teams Zenit, Yastruby, and Aurora. From 2009 to 2012, until the 5th grade, he studied at Lyceum No. 3 of the Pidhorodne City Council of the Dnipropetrovsk region, then transferred to Gymnasium No. 3 of the city of Dnipro (now Dnipro Lyceum No. 3). He was the silver champion of Ukraine in hockey. At the age of 15, Makar was selected for the hockey academy, but in 2014 the war began and he chose to move to Kyiv and graduate from the Ivan Bohun Kyiv Military Lyceum.
In July 2017, Makar entered the military academy (Odessa), which he graduated in June 2021 with a specialization in "management of military intelligence operations.".
After graduating from the Land Forces Academy, he served in the reconnaissance company of the 92nd Infantry Brigade from June 2021, initially as a reconnaissance platoon commander, and from May 2023 as a deputy commander of the reconnaissance company. With the beginning of the hot phase of the Ukrainian-Russian war, from February 2022, he participated in heavy defensive battles around Kharkiv, defended the city of Chuguiv, participated in the Kharkiv offensive operation from September 2022, in heavy battles in the Svatyiv direction and in battles near Bakhmut.
In September 2022, he was wounded in a gun battle near the city of Kupyansk, Kharkiv region. For his participation in the Kharkiv offensive operation and the liberation of the city of Kupyansk, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd degree.
Circumstances of death:
On November 11, 2023, Makar Yerofeyev led newly recruited fighters into battle near the village of Andriyivka, Bakhmut district. Personally, on the battlefield, he directed the combat actions of the reconnaissance company soldiers entrusted to him, ensuring the brigade's assault actions on a certain section of the front. After the successfully completed operation, Makar was warned over the radio that there would be mortar shelling and that it was necessary to retreat. He turned off all the radios. A special forces soldier of the 3rd battalion of the Foreign Legion named Vytautas, who was in their group, was wounded in the legs from an attack on a mine. Makar rushed to his rescue, together with his comrades made a stretcher from branches and lifted the wounded man onto his shoulders, leaving through the village of Andriyivka. A complex mortar and drone shelling began, Makar Yerofeyev gave the order to the fighters to disperse and hide, and he himself refused to abandon the wounded man to the last, regardless of the shelling. He was killed by a fragment from one of the mortar shells, which hit his leg 6-8 meters from the explosion site and tore off an artery, from which Makar Yerofeyev bled out quite quickly.
The Hero was buried on November 16, 2023 at the Pidhorodne Cemetery in the city of Pidhorodne, Dniprovsky District, Dnipropetrovsk Region.
Makar is survived by his father, mother, who live outside the city of Chuguiv, and a brother who also defends the Motherland.
During his service, Makar Yerofeyev had several awards: on September 14, 2024, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree, had the medals "Defender of the Fatherland" and "Indomitable Heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian War", two decorations: "For the Defense of Kharkiv" and "Memorial Decoration of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine". On August 23, 2024, by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 557/2024, he was awarded the Title "Hero of Ukraine" with the award of the Order of the Gold Star (posthumously).
