With peace talks faltering, both sides in Russia’s war against Ukraine continue to trade accusations of cease-fire violations as the death toll to the 10-month-old conflict mounts.
Ukrainian officials reported at least three soldiers were killed since Dec. 9. Ukraine has lost at least 192 servicemen since Sept. 5, when a Minsk cease-fire was was initially signed by all sides.
While the official death toll stands at that at least 1,250 Ukrainian soldiers, according to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the Kyiv Post count – based on unofficial sources, family and other reports – is at 1,266 Ukrainian fighters. Moreover, some 4,356 civilians have been killed and more than 10,000 wounded as of Nov. 25, according to the United Nations.
Some 684 Ukrainian citizens, including volunteers, journalists and soldiers remain captive, Ukraine’s Security Service head Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said on Dec. 6.
The following is the list of those known to be killed through Nov. 27- Dec. 8:
Nov. 27
Oleksiy Safin, 39, a soldier of the 93rd mechanized brigade from Zhytomyr Oblast. He
was mobilized to Ukrainian army in July. He was killed while defending
Donetsk airport. Safin leaves a wife and two children in his native
Baranivka town in Zhytomyr Oblast.
Nov. 28
Ruslan Holembiovskiy, 33, combat engineer of the 128th mechanized brigade from Ternopil Oblast. He
volunteered to the war front and later was deployed to the country’s
east. Holembiovskiy spent at least four months in Ukraine’s Donbas. He
tripped a landmine near Stanytsia Luhasnka in Luhansk Oblast. He leaves
his parents and a sister in his native village of Klebanivka in Ternopil
Oblast.
Nov. 29
Dmytro Ilnytskiy, 24, a lieutenant of the 95th airborne
brigade from Zhytomyr. Ilnytskiy graduated from a local university and
then volunteered to the war front in April. He was wounded near Pisky in
Donetsk Oblast overnight Nov. 29 and died later in a local hospital.
Ilnytskiy was the only son in his family.
Nov. 30
Mykola Larin, 39, a soldier of the 93rd mechanized brigade from Volyn Oblast. His compatriots recalled he didn’t hesitate to join the army when mobilization started. “I’m going to defend Ukraine, and I wouldn’t hide,” Larin said
then. Larin was killed during the shelling at Opytne village, close to
Donetsk airport. He leaves a wife, a daughter and a son in his native
village of Ustyluh in Volyn Oblast.
Dec. 2
Yaroslav Stashkiv, 37, a member of Aidar volunteer battalion from Ternopil Oblast. Stashkiv
was an active EuroMaidan Revolution supporter and then volunteered to
the war zone. His compatriots recalled Stashkiv was a real patriot. He
was killed with his comrade in a car not far from Shchastia village in
Luhansk Oblast when kremlin-backed insurgents opened fire using Grad
missile launcher.
Oleksandr Zakharchuk, a soldier of
Aidar volunteer battalion from Vinnytsia Oblast. Zakharchuk spent most
of his last winter taking part in EuroMaidan Revolution events in his
native Vinnytsia. He was a part of a local self-defense unit. Later he
helped to supply fighters of Aidar battalion with equipment for more
than three months. Then Zakharchuk decided to become a battalion member.
He was killed near Shchastia village in Luhansk Oblast.
Oleksandr Potapenko, 44, a soldier from Cherkasy Oblast. He
volunteered to the army in early August and later was deployed to the
war zone. He leaves a wife and two daughters in his native Drabiv
village in Cherkasy Oblast.
Ivan Benera, 28, senior lieutenant of the 204th Sevastopol-based
tactical air group of Belbek military base that was later moved from
Russia-annexed Crimea to Mykolaiv. Benera then volunteered to go to the
east of Ukraine and was deployed to the war zone shortly. He was killed
near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a wife, Halyna, a military
doctor. They married on March 22 in Sevastopol, hours before Russian
troops stormed their base.
Andriy Tereshchenko, 23, a soldier of the 95th mechanized
brigade from Cherkasy. He was deployed to the war zone in August.
Tereshchenko was mortally wounded while defending Donetsk airport. He
leaves his parents and a sister in Cherkasy.
Dec. 4
Oleksandr Shymon, 26, a soldier of the 128th mechanized
brigade from Zakarpattya Oblast. Shymon was a professional serviceman
as his two brothers who also volunteered to the army. He was killed
during the shelling near Debaltseve in Donetsk Oblast. His friends
recalled he was kind and fair young man. He leaves his parents and
brothers in Uhlya village in Zakarpattya Oblast.
Yuriy Borovyk,
33, a soldier from Mykolaiv Oblast. He had been defending Donetsk
airport for more than 55 days before he was mortally wounded. He died
later in a local hospital. Borovyk leaves his parents and a brother.
Dec. 8
Mykola Petruchenko, a soldier of the 95th airborne brigade from Kyiv. He was killed near Pisky in Donetsk Oblast. Petruchenko leaves a wife and a daughter in Kyiv.
Andriy Remenyuk, a soldier of the 95th airborne brigade from Luhansk Oblast. He was killed near Pisky in Donetsk Oblast.
Viktor Lavrenchuk, 28, a soldier of the 1st tank
brigade from Chernihiv Ovblast. He used to be Svoboda nationalist party
member. Lavrenchuk was an active EuroMaidan Revolutuion supporter and
later volunteered to the army. He was deployed to the country’s east in
June and was wounded while defending Luhansk airport. He received
treatment at home and then came back to the war zone when he found out
his unit is defending Donetsk airport. Lavrenchuk was killed near Pisky in Donetsk Oblast. Lavrenchuk leaves a wife and 5-year-old son.
