Sgt. Maj. Alexy Budovski, 39: Yasam officer was ‘a hero of Israel’
Killed battling the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Re’im on October 7
Sgt. Maj. Alexy Budovski, 39, a member of the Negev Yasam patrol unit, from Beersheba, was killed on October 7 battling the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Re’im.
Alexy and his comrades were sent to the kibbutz with the start of the attack, coming across two jeeps filled with weapons at the entrance, which they took with them as they headed inside.
There they battled against the Hamas attack on the kibbutz, exchanging heavy gunfire until Alexy was killed, as was his comrade, First Sgt. Uriel Avraham.
He was buried in Beersheba on October 10. He is survived by his wife, Natalia, their three children, Steven, Romi and Daria, his parents, Eleanora and Igor and his sister Ileana.
Born in Belarus, Alexy moved with his family to Israel in 1995, at age 11, according to a police eulogy.
In 2002, after finishing high school, Alexy enlisted in the IDF, serving in a combat role. Following his service he decided to continue a career in security, joining the Israel Police in 2008.
Alexy served in the Yasam Negev patrol unit dedicated to ensuring order and dispersing riots in the Negev region. He and his wife Natalia raised their three children in Beersheba, and loved ones described him as a caring family man, who enjoyed taking the family on camping trips as well as vacations in Israel and abroad.
His comrade, Yoram Ben Hemo, wrote on a memorial page that he “had the privilege of working with you for many years.”
“A hero of Israel, because of you yelling into the radio on that terrible morning to come to you in Re’im via Ofakim and not via Kibbutz Sa’ad, you saved our lives, the whole team,” he added. “I joined you in the battle in Re’im and if only we could have done something different in the fight. I miss you, watch over us from above.”
His son, Steven, wrote on social media that Alexy’s name “is being spoken about everywhere. My Dad. No word can describe the longing the whole family feels for you. We will always remember you, you were a hero and you always will be, and the whole country will remember you, I promise!”
Steven later wrote on Instagram to his father: “I love you to the moon and back. How lucky I am to have had a father so special that I miss you this much. As much as I hate not having you around, I’m happy to know you’re at peace, a better place. You may not be with me anymore and it hurts, oh dear God how it hurts. But my love for you will never die. I’ll forever be your boy, be sure that we’re gonna continue your work, and no matter what, we will never forget you. Ever.”
