At least 1,028 soldiers killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine

The official military death toll stands at around 953, the Kyiv Post count is higher and goes with 1,028 killed soldiers.

During the six-week truce, Kremlin-backed insurgents have violated the terms of agreement more than 1,400 times. One of the bloodiest day came on Oct. 15 with 12 Ukrainian soldiers killed when the insurgents attacked Ukrainian troops near Luhansk.

Moreover, 51 civilians have been killed in past six weeks that brings the number of killed civilians to 3,682, according to the United Nations report. Still around 5 million people keep living in conflict-affected areas as of Oct. 3.

The following is the list of those known to be killed through Oct. 1-14:

Oct. 1

Ivan Kononovych, 26, Ukraine’s National Guard soldier from Chernihiv Oblast. He was mobilized to the army in April. Kononovych tripped on a land mine near Debaltseve in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a father in his hometown.

Mykola Pyrih, 34, soldier of Chernihiv-1 Battalion. He has been living in Moscow for the last 12 years, but then came back to Ukraine and was mobilized to Ukrainian army in April. He leaves two children.

Oct. 2

Roman Bevz, 33, a professional serviceman. He joined Cherkasy territorial battalion and later was deployed to the warzone. Bevz leaves a wife, two daughters and a son in his native Avramivka village in Cherkasy Oblast.

Oleh Shvets, 35, soldier of Cherkasy Oblast. He was killed during a shelling near Donetsk. He leaves a wife and a son in a town of Smila in Cherkasy Oblast.

Oct. 3

Vadym Sheshenya, 33, soldier from Kherson Oblast. He used to work for a fire brigade and later volunteered to the army. His younger brother also fights in the east. Sheshenya was killed in a fight for Donetsk airport. He leaves a wife, a daughter and a newborn son in Kherson Oblast.

Sviatoslav Horbenko, 19, soldier of Praviy Sector volunteer unit from Poltava. Horbenko used to be a student of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and later volunteered to the east. He was killed in fight for Donetsk airport.

Denys Bilyy, soldier of Kherson Oblast. He was killed during the fight for Donetsk airport.

Oct. 4

Yevhen Piven, 41, senior officer of 79th airborne brigade from Cherkasy Oblast. He was killed during the shelling near Donetsk airport as he tried to rescue his two comrades. Piven leaves his wife and two daughters in Mykolaiv.

Andriy Rava, 22, military driver of 72nd mechanized brigade from Ternopil Oblast. He volunteered to the army in March and had been fighting in the east for about six months. Rava came back home only once to treat his wounded eye and then was back to the warzone.

 

Oct. 5

Serhiy Sidletskiy, 30, soldier of 95th airborne brigade from Zhytomyr Oblast. He was mobilized to Ukrainian army in March and was killed in fight for Donetsk airport. Sidletskiy leaves a wife and a six-year-old son.

Oct. 6

Ruslan Sheremet, 23, policeman from Cherkasy Oblast. He wanted to become a policeman since his childhood, his friends recalled. He was killed in Svatove in Luhansk Oblast.

Viktor Punda, 49, sergeant of 128 mechanized brigade from Ternopil Oblast. He was an active EuroMaidan Revolution supporter. His family didn’t know Punda has been fighting in the east. He was killed during the mortar shelling near Debaltseve. He leaves a wife in his native Ivanivka village in Ternopil Oblast.

Dmytro Pozharskiy, 31, soldier of Cherkasy Battalion. He was mobilized to Ukrainian army in March. Pozharskiy was killed during in a shootout near Starohnativka village in Donetsk Oblast. He leaves a wife and two children.

Oleksandr Luniov, 35, squadron leader of the center for mine clearing from Khmelnytskiy Oblast. He was deployed to Luhansk Obalst in June. Luniov leaves a wife and 12-year-old daughter in Kamianets Podilskiy.

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Oct. 7

Serhiy Tsymbal, 27, a soldier of Kyivan Rus Battalion. Tsymbal’s recon team was caught in an ambush near Debaltseve. He was killed trying to rescue his comrades. He leaves his wife and two children in Bila Tserkva. “We will always remember you because you were brave, kind and cheerful,” Tsymbal’s friend, Olga Vakhniy posted to her social network page.

Artur Silko, 26, soldier of 95th airborne brigade from Zhytomyr. He volunteered to the army in March and later was deployed to the anti-terrorist zone. Silko was mortally wounded in fight for Donetsk airport. He leaves a wife and a daughter in his native city.

Volodymyr Oznamets, 40, warrant officer from Khmelnytskiy Oblast. He used to be on the front lines since August. Russia-backed insurgents opened fire at an ambulance, which was taking Oznamets to a hospital. Lyudmyla Vasylieva, an activist who used to know Oznamets, wrote on her Facebook page that he always thanked volunteers and promised to buy them a cake when he comes back.

Oct. 8

Ivan Kuryata, 41, machine gunner of Kyiv-1 Battalion. He was killed in a mortar shelling in Pisky village in Donetsk Oblast. Kuryata leaves a wife and three children.

Vitaliy Chmelivskiy, 32, soldier from Kyiv Oblast. He was mourned in his native Uzyn in Kyiv Oblast on Oct. 11.

 

Oct. 10

Serhiy Paleshko, 28, soldier of 27th artillery unit from Sumy. He was mobilized to Ukrainian army in March and was killed near Pidhorodne village in Donetsk Oblast. Paleshko leaves a wife and 2-year-old son. Paleshko’s father-in-law mentioned, “Serhiy was like a son I’ve never had,” he said during the mourning in Sumy on Oct. 15.

Oct. 11

Robert Kis, 24, border guard from Zakarpattia Oblast. Kis was wounded near Novotroitske village in Donetsk Oblast when Russia-backed insurgents opened fire on the column of Ukraine’s State Border Service. Kis died in one of Volnovakha city’s hospitals. He leaves a wife and a two-month child in Mukachevo.

Oct. 12

Oleksandr Katrych, soldier. He was wounded near Debaltseve in Donetsk Oblast and later was transported to Kyiv’s main military hospital. He died on Oct. 12. “I was hoping they (the doctors) would rescue him. Never happened,” Yulia Smirnova, a volunteer who helps Ukrainian army, posted to her Facebook page on Oct. 13.  Katrych, native of Odesa Oblast, leaves his pregnant wife and a son.

Viktor Melnychenko, 42, soldier from Cherkasy Oblast. He was the only one from his village who volunteered to the army. Melnychenko was deployed to the east in August and was killed near Debaltseve after Russia-backed insurgent started shelling. He leaves his wife and two sons in Velykiy Kut village in Cherkasy Oblast.

Oct. 13

Sergiy Poberezhnyk, 32, a soldier of 24th mechanized brigade from Cherkasy Oblast. He used to work for Chernivtsi customs. His colleagues recalled he was “dedicated and helpful worker.” He tripped on a land mine near Triokhizbenka village in Luhansk Oblast.

Oct. 14

Mykhailo Rybak, 20, soldier from 51st mechanized brigade from Zhytomyr Oblast. He was mobilized to the army in March and was wounded in fight near Volnovakha and died later in one of Odesa city hospitals.

Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at goncharova@kyivpost.com