You're reading: At least 21 Ukrainian soldiers killed Jan. 11 – Feb. 8 in Russia’s war

Full-scale war has returned to eastern Ukraine in the last three weeks, claiming the lives of at least 21 Ukrainian soldiers and leaving 138 injured. On the morning of Feb. 9, the Ukrainian army reported that its positions in the Donbas were attacked more than 80 times in the past 24 hours.

The deadliest flare-up in fighting in the Donbas started on Jan. 30, when Russian-backed separatists started shelling Ukrainian positions in the government-held city of Avdiyivka in Donetsk Oblast, some 700 kilometers southeast of Kyiv. The attacks involved Grad rockets, a heavy weapon banned from use under the Minsk agreements, and were the bloodiest ones in 2017, killing 11 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the Ukrainian military.

International monitors with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have indicated there were at least 63 civilian casualties – 12 deaths and 51 injuries – in the first month of the year, including 48 (7 deaths, 41 injured) between Jan. 29 and Feb. 2. These casualties were caused mainly by shelling from artillery, tanks and multiple rocket launchers.

At least 1.7 million people have fled their homes since Russia started its war against Ukraine in the Donbas in 2014, according to a United Nations report.

The following is the list of those known to be killed in the period of Jan. 11 – Feb. 8

Jan. 11

Bohdan Kornelyuk, 22, a soldier of the 14th mechanized brigade from Volyn Oblast. Kornelyuk followed his father’s example who served for a year in Donbas and signed an enlistment contract with the army in 2016. He was stationed in Stanytsya Luhanska, 16 kilometers north-east of Luhansk. Kornelyuk was killed near Stanytsya Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast. He leaves a father.

Jan. 14

Vitaliy Senyuk, 45, chief intelligence officer of the 24th mechanized brigade from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. He liked hunting and mastered blacksmith job in his spare time. Senyuk, a professional military officer, volunteered to the army in 2014 and had been serving since then. “During our last meeting he told me that he’s going to stay until the victory,” volunteer Oleh Kushnir was quoted as saying during Senyuk’s mourning. He was killed near Novooleksandrivka village in Luhansk Oblast when his vehicle was hit by antitank missile system. Senyuk leaves a wife and three children.

Jan. 20

Sergiy Zakharevych, 20, a soldier of the 72nd mechanized brigade from Kyiv Oblast. Zakharevych studied at a teachers college in a town of Pereyaslav. He was mobilized to the army in late 2015 and signed an enlistment contract next year. He didn’t tell his relatives that he’s serving in the Donbas.
“We talked a lot,” Zakahrevych’s classmate, Lyudmyla Kyshchuk, was quoted as saying during the funeral ceremony. “He wanted to come home for a vacation, and he always tried to send money for his mom. He planned to buy her a new fridge for the house.” Zakharevych wanted to come home for a vacation on Feb. 7. He was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a mother and two brothers.

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Jan. 26

Sergiy Nepsov, 22, a soldier of the 93rd mechanized brigade from Mykolaiv Oblast. He was mobilized to the army in 2015 and signed an enlistment contract with the army in a year. His family supported Nepsov’s decision. Yan Osoka, a volunteer, said that Nepsov tried to stay in touch with his father and ensured him that the army is the right choice. He was killed near Novotoshkivske village in Luhansk Oblast. Nepsov leaves his parents and a sister.

Andriy Ksenchuk, 36, a soldier of the 74th reconnaissance battalion. He was born in Russia, but moved to Ukraine in 1999. He used to work as a miner. Ksenchuk was mobilized to the army in 2015. He was killed in the shelling near front-line village of Shyrokyne, Donetsk Oblast. Ksenchuk leaves a wife and a son.

Battles for the city of Avdiyivka Jan. 30 – Feb. 1

Yaroslav Pavlyuk, 36, a soldier of the 72nd mechanized brigade from Kirovohrad Oblast. He used to teach veterinary management for Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University. He worked as a veterinarian in Azerbaijan, but made it back to Ukraine when he learned that his younger brother is serving in the east. He signed an enlistment contract with the army in 2016. Pavlyuk was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka. He leaves a wife and daughter.

Volodymyr Balchenko, 24, a soldier of the 72nd mechanized brigade from Chernihiv Oblast. Balchenko was mobilized to the army in 2015. He was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka. Balchenko leaves a mother, a brother and a sister.

Dmytro Overchenko, 28, a soldier of the 72nd mechanized brigade from Cherkasy Oblast. Overchenko liked to play chess and taught his fellow soldier how to play. He was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka. He leaves his parents, two brothers and two sisters.

Volodymyr Kryzhansky, 34, a soldier of the 72nd mechanized brigade from Cherkasy Oblast. He was mobilized to the army in 2014. His fellow soldiers recalled he liked to bake. Kryzhansky was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka. He leaves a wife and a son in a town of Skvyra, Kyiv Oblast.

Andriy Kyzylo, 23, deputy commander of the 1st battalion of the 72nd mechanized brigade from Cherkasy Oblast. Kyzylo was a professional military officer, he graduated from Lviv Military Academy and became a squadron commander when he was 21. He took part in battles for the city of Volnovakha. Kyzylo was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka. “I was always proud of him. People (like him) should build a new structure of the Ministry of Defense,” Kyzylo’s grandfather, retired lieutenant-colonel, was quoted as saying during the mourning. Kyzylo was awarded a Hero of Ukraine posthumously. He leaves a wife and an 8-month old son.

Vitaliy Shamrai, 26, a soldier of the 72nd brigade from Cherkasy Oblast. His fellow soldiers said he was helpful young and cheerful young man. His father died 20 years ago so he ‘d been always caring for his mother and sister. Shamrai was killed during the shelling as he was patrolling Ukraine’s positions in Avdiyivka, Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a wife and a son.

Leonid Derhach, 37, a soldier of the 72nd brigade from Chernivtsi Oblast. He graduated from the National Academy of Internal Affairs and worked for the Law School of Chernivtsi National University. Derkach ws mobilized to the army in 2015. He took part in the battles near Volnovakha, Verkniotoretske village and Horlivka in Donetsk Oblast. Recently he taught newcomers to the war zone. Derkach was killed as Russia-backed separatists used Grad missile launchers to attack Ukrainian positions near Avdiyivka. He leaves a wife and two sons in western Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi.

Roman Bubliyenko, 23, a soldier of the 72nd brigade from Kyiv Oblast. He served in the army back in 2012. According to Yan Osoka, a volunteer, he liked to cook and draw in his spare time. Later he spent most of the time with his newborn son. He went back to the war front in 2016 when he decided to become a career soldier. Bubliyenko was killed by a shrapnel as Russia-backed separatists used Grad missile launchers to attack Ukrainian positions near Avdiyivka. He leaves a wife and a two-year-old son.

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Oleh Burets, 26, a soldier of the 72nd brigade from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He decided to become a career soldier in the beginning of 2016. He got married during his short trip home the same year. Burets was killed during the shelling of Ukrainian army positions in Avdiyivka. He leaves a wife and a daughter.

Sergiy Patsula, 32, a soldier of the 80th brigade from Mykolaiv Oblast. He used to work for a local poultry farm until he was mobilized to the army in 2015. In a year, decided to become a career soldier. According to Yan Osoka, a volunteer, Patsula always wanted to have a big family and liked to spend time with his children. He was killed during the shelling near the village of Tonenke in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a wife a daughter and three sons.

Roman Hulchenko, 30, a soldier of the 79th brigade from Odesa Oblast. Hulchenko wanted to become a military officer since his childhood. He became a career soldier back in 2008 and volunteered to the war zone in summer 2014. Hulchenko was one of the defenders of Donetsk airport and took part in Debaltseve battles. He was killed by a mine near Vodyane village in Donetsk Obalst. He leaves his parents and a 6-year-old daughter.

Feb. 2

Yuriy Reva, 55, a soldier of the 54th mechanized brigade from Zaporizhzhya. He signed an enlistment contract with the army in 2016. His fellows recalled him as a reliable man who always was ready to help. Reva was killed by a mine shrapnel near the town of Svitlodarsk. He leaves a wife, a son and a daughter.

Roman Klimov, 27, a soldier of the 72nd mechanized brigade from Mykolaiv. He used to work for a local armor plant before he was mobilized to the army in June 2014. Later Klimov decided to become a career soldier. He liked jogging and kept running in a war zone too, averaging 10 km per day, according to volunteer Yan Osoka. He dreamed of having his own family. Klimov took part in battles for the city of Volnovakha in Donetsk Oblast and was awarded by the Ministry of Defense. Klimov was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka. He leaves a mother and a sister.

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Feb. 3

Maris Kaminsky, 26, a soldier, logistic food supply officer of the 80th airmobile brigade from Volyn Oblast. He graduated from Lviv Military School and later enrolled in Ukraine Military Academy in Lviv. He’d been fighting in the east of Ukraine since the first days of the military intervention. Kaminsky was one of the defenders of Luhansk airport. He was killed as Russian-backed separatists used Grad missile launchers to attack Ukrainian army positions near Halytsynivka village in Donetsk Oblast. Kaminsky leaves his parents and a wife in a city of Chernivtsi. She’s expecting their first child.

Roman Horkun, 22, a soldier of the 17th Guards Tank Brigade from Luhansk. Horkun was raised by his grandmother. When the war started in the east of Ukraine he moved with his grandmother to Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He decided to become a career soldier in 2016. Horkun served in his native Luhansk Oblast – he spent more than seven months on the frontline. Horkun received mine-shrapnel wounds during the shelling near the villages of Novozvanivka and Troyitske, Luhansk Oblast. “We took him to the hospital, but he died,” Mykola Hravor, deputy commander of the first mechanized squadron, was quoted as saying during the funeral ceremony. “He was a cheerful and diligent young man… When his fellow soldiers felt down they always talked to him. He was a rare one.” Horkun’s nom-de-guerre was Smiley. He leaves a father and a grandmother.

Anatoliy Zaremsky, 39, a soldier of the 80th brigade from Khmelnytsky Oblast. He moved to western Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi later with his family. Zaremsky was killed during the shelling of Avdiyivka, Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a wife and two sons.