Ukraine war: Six sporting lives lost - 'We will not forgive, or forget'

Numerous Ukrainian sportspeople signed up to combat aft Russia invaded a twelvemonth ago

When Ukraine awoke to the convulsive dependable of Russian penetration successful the aboriginal hours of 24 February 2022, its radical had to marque decisions.

Others made the other journey. Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk - Ukraine's boxing superstars - donned fatigues and headed to the frontline.

While some person since been capable to instrumentality to their sport, passionateness and profession, others person not been truthful fortunate.

More than 230 athletes, trainers and enactment unit person died since the commencement of the invasion. Another 15 person been wounded, 28 detained and 4 are missing, according to the Ukrainian government.

Vadym Gutzait, the country's curate of younker and sport, spoke of the "unspeakable pain" of losing compatriots who dreamed of representing their federation successful competition, alternatively than successful conflict.

"Bright and eternal memories of each and each 1 of those names volition beryllium inscribed successful the past of our authorities arsenic angels of some athletics and Ukraine," helium said.

"We volition not forgive. We volition not forget."

Here are the stories of six Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia's invasion, told by those who knew them best.

Dmytro Serbin - American Football

Serbin worked arsenic a doctor, playing for the Kyiv-based Capitals successful his spare time

"Dmytro was a antheral who had a large heart," says Maxim Cherepivskiy, backmost for the Kyiv Capitals.

"He was a chill athlete, a large doc and a bully friend. He was a person connected the tract and successful life."

Serbin, 49, helped thatch Cherepivskiy the game, and the brace became bully friends arsenic Cherepivskiy emerged arsenic a cardinal fig successful the Kyiv Capitals team.

"He ever called himself a fortunate feline due to the fact that determination were ever radical astir him who loved him for his positivity and kindness," says Cherepivskiy of his friend.

Serbin (left) introduced Maxim Cherepivskiy (right) to the game

Serbin was described arsenic the oldest subordinate successful the league, but besides the fastest.

The Kyiv Capitals announced Serbin's decease successful October, saying helium was killed portion evacuating wounded civilians.

His squad posted a video showing moments from Serbin's life. It featured immoderate of his touchdowns for the Capitals, post-match celebrations with his team-mates and him cutting an American Football-themed barroom astatine a day party.

In 1 clip, Serbin throws a walk down a corridor astatine the infirmary wherever helium worked. He laughingly compares himself to Kansas City Chiefs backmost Patrick Mahomes arsenic helium walks backmost towards the camera.

Serbin had fixed up his spot successful a car heading distant from the frontline earlier helium was killed

"He died arsenic a soldier, defending his state and his relatives," the Kyiv Capitals said connected Instagram.

According to Cherepivskiy, Serbin gave up his spot successful the car to instrumentality retired much wounded soldiers.

"He was redeeming the lives of others, helium was blown up by a mine," helium told the BBC.

Oleksandr Sukhenko - Football

Sukhenko's assemblage was recovered successful the aforesaid shallow sedate arsenic those of his parents

Oleksandr Sukhenko was playing arsenic a centre-forward astatine Kudrivka FC erstwhile the warfare broke out. He had played for 1 play with the team.

Kudrivka FC described the 25-year-old arsenic a "talented shot player" and bully person.

"In matches, helium repeatedly scored fantabulous goals and provided assists. He had a bully velocity and method and understood good what was required of him connected the field," the squad told the BBC successful a statement.

On 4 April, Sukhenko's sister Elena announced his decease via the club's property team, describing however helium had stayed down with his parents to look aft his location colony of Motyzhyn, westbound of Kyiv.

Elena said her member signed up to the territorial defence forces arsenic soon arsenic Ukraine was invaded.

He helped his parents acceptable up processes truthful their colony would beryllium capable to relation during the war. But past the Russians arrived.

Sukhenko co-ordinated an evacuation from the village, helping signifier convoys and gathering accusation connected the champion clip to leave. Elena and her hubby were among those to escape.

Sukhenko helped administer assistance to distant parts of the village, alongside his parents.

Sukhenko played arsenic a centre guardant oregon wide attacker

"He wanted to assistance truthful overmuch and helium did it," Elena said.

Sukhenko assured his sister each greeting that everything was OK. But connected 23 March, the Russians came to his parents' house. The soldiers took his car and left. A fewer hours later, his parents were taken away.

He told Elena that helium had been promised they would instrumentality live and helium would stay astatine location waiting for them.

"But astatine 15:36 I received a substance connection that said 'Lena, everything is good with us, the telephone volition beryllium disconnected,'" she said.

It was the past she heard from him. His body, on with those of his parents, was recovered successful a shallow pit successful a wood conscionable extracurricular their colony 2 weeks later.

Elena praised her member and parents' bravery.

"They gave their lives for our colony and our country. They did not springiness up," she said.

Oleh Leniuk - Orienteering

Orienteering had been a household passionateness that Leniuk inherited

Born successful April 1999, Oleh Leniuk was brought up successful the orienteering community.

At conscionable eight, Leniuk started to tally distances connected his own. By 15, helium had won the determination championship, beating big competitors.

He progressed to Ukraine's younker and inferior nationalist teams and, successful 2020, helium won metallic astatine the European Junior Rogaining Championship.

Aside from orienteering, Leniuk gained an undergraduate grade successful applied mathematics and accusation technologies and a masters grade with honours successful machine science.

Leniuk had interviews with a respective accusation exertion companies. He received occupation offers, but opted not to instrumentality them due to the fact that it would not let capable clip to survey and instrumentality portion successful sport.

A enactment of the medals and awards won by Leniuk during his orienteering career

Even earlier 24 February, Leniuk had made his determination astir his adjacent move. He held a household gathering with his begetter and brother, who knew they wanted to assistance Ukraine. They each signed up to service successful the military.

"He fought successful the Kharkiv absorption and acknowledgment to their actions, it was imaginable to propulsion the force to the east," his begetter said.

Leniuk was successful interaction with his begetter constantly. "When they near for an assignment, they turned disconnected their phones for a time oregon two, past they were backmost successful touch. I recognize from the conversations it was precise hard for them, determination was changeless shelling."

Leniuk was 23 erstwhile helium was killed successful Kharkiv successful May.

"He was a conscientious fighter, an honorable and reliable comrade," Ukraine's ministry of younker and sports said. "During the warfare helium proved to beryllium a brave and enduring warrior."

Yevhen Obedinsky - Water polo

Obedinsky's decease near his 12-year-old girl Kira orphaned

Yevhen Obedinsky was a long-time skipper of Mariupol's squad and played for Ukraine's nationalist team, skippering his state for portion of his planetary career.

His begetter Oleksandr, a palmy h2o polo jock himself, was his coach.

"He was vivacious, sociable, persistent and ne'er gave up," Ukraine's h2o polo relation told the BBC.

The past clip Obedinsky competed astatine tourney level was successful 2020, erstwhile helium competed successful the Cup of Ukraine.

He stopped playing aft being diagnosed with a encephalon tumour.

Obedinsky, 39, was killed connected 17 March during Russian shelling connected the metropolis of Mariupol.

"He was a delicate son, brother, father, person and fantabulous athlete," his begetter said connected societal media aft his death. "He was a large person of life, ne'er gave up and ne'er complained astir life, nary substance however hard it was for him.

"He ever had 1 answer. 'Don't interest dad, I'll beryllium fine.' We had a precise lukewarm and trusting narration and we treated each different with love. It's a unspeakable symptom and irreparable loss."

The household endured much heartache erstwhile his 12-year-old girl Kira was injured trying to flight the city.

She was taken to a infirmary successful Russian-occupied Donetsk and, according to doctors, was acceptable to beryllium transferred to an orphanage successful Russia. Kira inactive had her father's mobile phone, however, and managed to usage Instagram to interaction her gramps to fto him cognize her whereabouts.

After efforts by the Ukrainian government, her gramps was permitted to cod her successful April, making a four-day travel that progressive flights to Moscow via Poland and Turkey, a bid to Rostov and a car travel to Donetsk. Together they returned to Ukraine the aforesaid way.

Back home, Kira told CNN however she had been forced to permission her father's assemblage beneath the rubble of their shelled location earlier a landmine near her peppered with shrapnel arsenic she tried to fly the Russian forces successful her location city.

Maksym Yalovtsov - rugby national and wrestling

Maksym Yalovtsov was 32 erstwhile helium was killed successful a conflict with Russian forces successful October.

A immense assemblage turned up to his funeral, with radical lighting flares for a antheral who was described by friends arsenic "charismatic and a champion".

He was portion of the rugby community, playing for a nine successful Kyiv.

"I met Maksym successful astir 2007 astatine rugby grooming successful Kyiv," says Stanislav Gryschenko, a erstwhile team-mate. "He was a shy lad then. We started grooming unneurotic and played much than 30 matches for our nine Aviator.

"He was ever diligent successful training. He played arsenic a prop successful the scrum. Such a presumption requires a batch of strength, endurance and courage. Maksym possessed each these qualities."

Gryschenko says Yalovtsov was a purposeful and sociable man, who could ever beryllium relied on. "He loved life, helium gave radical joyousness and laughter," helium added.

Yalovtsov besides took up wrestling and jiu-jitsu, taking portion successful the 2018 Rome International Open earlier going connected to triumph a golden medal astatine a European Ju-jitsu tourney successful 2021.

Herman Horodetskyi, a chap jiu-jitsu athlete, said Yalovtsov had his ain attack to sport, astir spiritual.

"He began mixed martial arts and had precise bully achievements. In the nonrecreational leagues, helium didn't vie often - helium had astir 5 nonrecreational bouts.

"You couldn't ideate however phenomenal these fights were. He was ever putting connected an charismatic show for the fans. After his fights, helium attracted thousands of fans astir Ukraine."

Horodetskyi knew Yalovtsov for much than 7 years. They became friends instantly.

"From 2 weeks of our friendship, it felt similar I knew him my full life," helium said. "I miss everything astir him. When I deliberation astir him, I tin instantly spot him close successful beforehand of me."

Yalovtsov was besides a portion of the Dynamo Kyiv instrumentality organisation. After his death, fans held a motion with his sanction connected during the team's lucifer successful Krakow, Poland. Shortly aft the game, players took a representation with the motion to honour Yalovtsov.

Dmytro Sydoruk - Archery

Sydoruk, successful the achromatic and achromatic representation connected the right, besides fought against Russia's annexation of Crimea successful 2014

Dmytro Sydoruk, known arsenic Dima, was assured and loved the athletics of archery, says his parent Inga. "He was ever a sporty boy."

Sydoruk, 39, had tried swimming, but the section excavation closed. A person suggested helium effort archery instead. He fell successful emotion with the sport.

In 2000, helium was picked for the inferior nationalist squad and the pursuing twelvemonth made it to the World Archery Youth Championship successful Italy, winning a golden medal.

"When helium went out, I said, 'Medal for mum please!' and the reply was, 'OK!' He ever brought maine backmost a medal with the words, 'Mum this is for you,'" Inga says.

Sydoruk volunteered to combat successful 2014 erstwhile Russian forces annexed Crimea and was earnestly wounded during an detonation successful Luhansk. He went done 12 operations and months of rehabilitation, aboriginal returning to the beforehand line.

"He had a extremity and a large tendency to bash sports," his woman Andriana says. "What helium wanted, helium achieved. He is an illustration of ne'er giving up."

Sydoruk was portion of Ukraine's archetypal squad astatine the Invictus Games - an planetary lawsuit for injured servicepeople - winning metallic successful archery successful Canada successful 2017. He past became a coach.

Sydoruk's medals included a metallic astatine the 2017 Invictus Games

"The Invictus Games had a immense affirmative interaction connected him and became a portion of his life. Dmytro enactment a batch of effort into processing the task successful Ukraine and involving a ample fig of veterans successful rehabilitation and sports," Volodymyr Dgula, a person and archer, told the BBC.

Sydoruk signed up to combat again soon aft the Russian invasion. He was killed connected 5 April erstwhile the car helium was travelling successful was deed by a mortar mine, sidesplitting him and 2 different soldiers.

Sydoruk's parent inactive finds it hard to travel to presumption with his death.

"It is hard to constitute the connection 'was'," she says. "No, helium is not 'was', helium is successful our hearts, successful our thoughts and successful our memories."