At least 1,550 soldiers killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine

The latest Minsk peace agreement, reached on Feb. 12, brings one more chance for peace in a war that has claimed more than 7,000 lives since April. The cease-fire is supposed to start at midnight on Feb. 15.

However, Ukrainian officials reported another 50 tanks crossed into Ukraine from Russia overnight on Feb. 11, when all-night talks between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French leader Francois Hollande were under way in Belarus.

Ukraine’s death toll is increasing, with officially 1,432 Ukrainian soldiers killed. The Kyiv Post death toll stands higher – at 1,550 servicemen. Ukraine’s officials report at least two Ukrainian fighters were killed and 21 wounded on Feb. 11.

The following is the list of those known to be killed Jan. 31-Feb. 10:

Jan. 31

Ruslan Boburov, 48, a soldier of Aidar volunteer battalion. Boburov spent most of the winter in Kyiv during the EuroMaidan Revolution. Then he volunteered to the war zone in May. Boburov was killed during mortar shelling near Shchastya in Luhansk Oblast. “He didn’t need anything, just peace for his country,” Boburov’s comrade, Karina, was quoted as saying during the mourning. “He was unique fighter and great technician,” she adds. Boburov leaves a wife, a daughter and a son in his native village in Cherkasy Oblast.

Oleksandr Yarmolich, 23, a soldier of the 80^th airborne brigade from Rivne Oblast. He was badly wounded near Shchastya in Luhansk Oblast and died later in the hospital. He leaves his parents in Velyun village in Rivne Oblast. The head of the local school promised to name a school after Yarmolich.

Oleh Dovhiy, 22, a soldier of the 128^th mechanized brigade from Khmelnytska Oblast. Dovhiy was a professional serviceman. He was killed near Debaltsevo in Donetsk Oblast.

Pavlo Antonenko, 22, a soldier of the 44^th artillery brigade from Cherkasy Oblast. He was killed during the mortar shelling near Hrodivka in Donetsk Obalst.

Vadym Zherebylo, 21, a soldier of Aidar volunteer battalion. He used to be a student of Kyiv Polytechnical University before EuroMaidan Revolution started. His friends said he met his girlfriend on Kyiv’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti, then volunteered to the east of Ukraine. His comrade Taras Lychko recalled Zherebylo was once badly wounded during the fight for Luhansk, but never leaved his comrades. “He also used to send half of his salary to his mother,” Lychko said. “He was religious person. He didn’t want to kill anyone. He even asked about it in his prayer before his last fight.” Zherebylo was killed during mortar shelling near Shchastya in Luhansk Oblast. He leaves his mother in a city of Mena in Chernihiv Oblast, he was the only son in his family.

Sviatoslav Dmytriv, 23, a soldier from Desna tank battalion. He was mobilized to the army in September and was battalion’s cook. “He could always cheer us and never complain,” his cousin, Sofia, said during the mourning that took place in Kyiv on Feb. 3. “He said he’s not afraid to die if he had to and promised to come back home,” Sofia was quoted as saying. He leaves his mother in Kyiv.

Kadyr Mahomedov, 42, a soldier of Donbas Battalion from Kharkiv. He was killed during the Vuhlehirsk in Donetsk Oblast.

Serhiy Beliayev, 54, a soldier of Donbas Battalion from Kryviy Rih. Beliayev was killed near Vuhlehirsk in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a wife and two sons in Kryvyi Rih.

Serhiy Miakotin, 44, a soldier of Donbas volunteer battalion. He went to the war zone with his brother and joined Praviy Sector Battalion first, then shift to Donbas Battalion. He leaves his family in Lebedyn in Sumy Oblast.

Oleksandr Kopytsia, 38, a soldier of Donbas Battalion. Kopytsia volunteered to the army in autumn and was killed during an ambush near Vuhlehirsk in Donetsk Oblast. “He could make any party go,” his comrades recalled. Kopytsia celebrated his last birthday. He leaves a wife, a daughter and a 6-year-old son in Kharkiv.

Feb. 1

Andriy Reuta, 32, a soldier of Donbas Battalion from Sumy. He used to work as an engineer before he volunteered to the war zone. Reuta’s brother and father followed his example. He was killed when Russia-backed separatists opened fire on Reuta’s car when they were on the way from Chornukhine to Debaltseve.

Isa Munayev, 49, a commander of a Chechen volunteer battalion named after Dzhokhar Dudayev (the first President of Chechnya). Munayev used to fight for independence of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria from Russia. He used to live in Europe before he finally moved to Ukraine in July, 2014 and went to the war zone. He decided to create a separate Chechen Battalion that would fight in war with Russia. In one of the interviews, Munayev said “he was forced to come to Ukraine when police opened fire on people with wooden shields on Maidan Nezalezhnosti.” “Isa died,” Semen Semenchenko, a commander of Donbas Battalion, posted to his Facebook on Feb. 2. “Now I need to keep my word and help to legalize his battalion.” He was killed near Chornukhine in Donetsk Oblast.

Pavlo Rymar, 34, a soldier of the 128^th mechanized brigade from Ternopil. He volunteered to the army in July and used to patrol the checkpoints near Ukrainian-Crimea border. Rymar was killed because of explosion at the military warehouse near Chervoniy Chaban village. He leaves a mother in Ternopil.

Nazariy Kulynets, 25, a soldier of the 128^th mechanized brigade from Ternopil Oblast. “I can’t believe he’s not with us amymore,” Solomia Dmytrievska, a volunteer, who knew Kulynets, was quoted as saying. “He liked to joke that when the war ends we’d go to a shooting gallery and he’d teach me how to shoot,” Dmytrievska said. Kulynets was killed because of explosion at the military warehouse near Chervoniy Chaban village.

Yuriy Nalyvaichuk, 36, a soldier of the 128^th mechanized brigade from Ternopil. He was killed because of explosion at the military warehouse near Chervoniy Chaban village. Nalyvaichuk leaves a wife and 7-year-old daughter in Ternopil.

Vadym Vernyhora, 27, a soldier of the 128^th mechanized brigade from Ternopil Oblast. He used to work for MotorSich, one of Ukraine’s largest engine manufacturers for airplanes and helicopters. He volunteered to the army in spring. Vernyhora used to guard the checkpoints at near Crimea border. He was killed because of explosion at the military warehouse near Chervoniy Chaban village. Vernyhora leaves a daughter and two-month-old child.

Nazar Siklitskiy, 30, a soldier of the 128^th mechanized brigade. Siklitskiy was killed because of explosion at the military warehouse near Chervoniy Chaban village in Kherson Oblast – close to the border with Crimea. “He was amazing – very kind and open person. It’s a grief for our family,” Siklitskiy’s cousin was quoted as saying. He leaves a twin brother and a sister in Ternopil.

Serhiy Nevelychuk, 47, a soldier of the 80^th brigade from Lviv. He used to have his business in Lviv and was a local civic activist, according to his friends. Later Nevelychuk decided to volunteer to the army. He was killed near a village of Peredilske close to Luhansk. He leaves a wife and two children in Lviv.

Vasyl Denysyuk, 32, a soldier of the 17^th tank brigade from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He used to work as a driver for ArcelorMittal steel company before he was mobilized to Ukrainian army in August 2014. He leaves a mother and three brothers in Kryvyi Rih.

Dmytro Holovin, 33, a soldier of the 17^th tank brigade from Volyn Oblast. Holovin was mobilized to the army in summer. After he was injured, he went home for treatment, and made it back to the army in 10 days. Holovin was killed near Popasna in Luhansk Oblast. He leaves a son and 8-year-old daughter.

Feb. 2

Serhiy Hurich, 27, a soldier of the 25^th mechanized infantry unit from Kyiv Oblast. “Serhiy adored his parents, especially his mother,” Hurich’s comrade, Ruslan Bondar, was quoted as saying. “He also breed domestic pigeons before war.” Hurich was killed in an ambush near Debaltsevo. He was the only son in his family.

Oleksandr Stelmakh, 24, a soldier of the 95^th airborne brigade. Stelmakh was a professional serviceman. He was killed near Pisky village in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves his parents and a brother in a city of Brusyliv in Zhytomyr Oblast.

Kostyantyn Nepop, 35, a soldier of the 95^th airborne brigade. He used to be UDAR party member in single-member constituency in Kyiv Oblast. He volunteered to the army in June and was wounded in September. After the treatment, however, he came back to the war zone. Nepop’s car tripped a land mine near Donetsk airport.

Ihor Snizhko, 41, a communications operations chief from Chernihiv Oblast. In 1997, he graduated from Kyiv Higher Military Engineering School and later worked for Land Forces Personnel Centre. Snizhko was killed during a mortar shelling near Debaltsevo in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves his wife, daughter and a son in Chernihiv.

Feb. 3

Dmytro Yanchenko, 25, a soldier of the 15^th brigade from Kyiv Obalst. He volunteered to the army in summer and was killed by a shell fragment at the checkpoint near Debaltseve. Yanchenko was the only son in his family. He leaves his mother in a city of Brovary in Kyiv Oblast.

Mykola Mazhuha, a soldier of the 17^th tank brigade from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Mazhuha was badly injured in fight near Debaltsevo in Donetsk Oblast and died later in one of Kharkiv city hospitals.

Feb. 4