Another bloody week came for the Ukrainian army as nine soldiers were killed and another 27 injured when Kremlin-backed militants tried to take over the Donetsk airport on the night of Sept. 28. Overall, at least 30 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed since the announcement of the cease-fire on Sept. 5, according to Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council. It brings the number of killed to at least 974 as of Oct. 1, according to Kyiv Post count.The following is the list of those known to be killed Sept. 25-Oct. 1:
Sept. 25
Yevhen Vasyliev, 41, senior lieutenant from Zaporizhzhiya Oblast. He was mobilized to Ukrainian army in the middle of March. Vasyliev was later deployed to the 17th tank brigade to supervise troops. He died because of grenade explosion in Donetsk Oblast. He was mourned in his native Gulyaipole in Zaporizhzhiya Oblast.
Sept. 26
Denys Cherednichenko, 29, soldier from Chernihiv. He volunteered to the army in spring and was deployed the war zone in the end of August. Olga Palkova and Vitaliy Komar, the volunteers who knew Cherednichenko, recalled he was “kind and supportive young man.” “He was the most joyful person we’ve seen,” the volunteers were quoted as saying. Cherednichenko was killed near Novoazovsk town in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves his mother and a girlfriend in Chernihiv.
Roman Evdokymov, 24, the soldier of 93rd Dnipropetrovsk mechanized brigade. Evdokymov was mobilized to the army in April. His comrades recalled Evdokymov was always ready to fight. He was killed when Russia-backed militants opened fire using Grad missile launcher near Karlivka village in Donetsk Oblast. Evdokymov leaves his parents and older brother in Melitopol.
Maksym Ozerov, 26, a soldier of the 169th training formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. He was described as reliable young man. “When we assigned Maksym to do something we never worried about the result,” his comrade, Serhiy, was quoted as saying. Ozerov was killed at the checkpoint near Maloorlivka village in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves his parents, three brothers and a sister in his native Nova Praga village in Kirovohrad Oblast.
Sept. 27
Vasyl Bodnar, 42, Aidar Battalion member. He was an active EuroMaidan Revolution supporter and later volunteered to the east. He was killed near Shchastya village in Donetsk Oblast. “He was a modest and kind man and a real patriot,” his friend, Volodymyr Ivanytskiy, posted on his Facebook page. He was mourned in his native Ripianka village in Ivano Frankivsk Obalst.
Seven members of 79th airborne brigade from Mykolaiv were killed and nine were injured when Kremlin-backed militants attacked Ukrainian APC near Donetsk airport on Sept. 28. Two members of 93rd Dnipropetrovsk mechanized brigade were killed in the same fight.
Oleksandr Pyvovarov, 26, a soldier of 79th brigade was one of the victims. He was mobilized to the army in March. Pyvovarov’s relatives still wait for his body to mourn him in his native Zaporizhzhiya.
Serhiy Zlatiev, a soldier of 79th brigade was killed in Donetsk airport. Oleksiy Tyshchyk, 29, a soldier of 93rd mechanized brigade from Dnipropetrovsk. He planned to return home on Oct. 2 to celebrate his birthday with the family. “All those who were frightened ran away, but the best of them left and Oleksiy was among them,” Yuriy Butusov, Ukrainian journalist, posted to his Facebook page. Tyshchyk leaves a wife and a daughter. It was reported that his mother, 55-year old judge of the local court, committed suicide after she found out her son died.
Oct. 1
Ihor Bahirov, a commander of recon group of Kyivan Rus battalion. He died near Debaltsevo when his group was surrounded by Russia-backed insurgents. His comrades said he blew himself up with a grenade as he didn’t want to yield oneself prisoner.
Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at [email protected]
