Ukrainian Jewish Soldier Buried in Kiev — One Month Later
A Ukrainian Jewish soldier who died last month amid Russian-backed separatist fighting was buried in Kiev.
Yevgeni Yatsina, who was almost 26, was brought to burial in the capital on Friday following the discovery of his body, which was covered by debris since he died in an explosion last month in the country’s east, the news website newsru.co.il reported.
Yatsina was Jewish according to religious Jewish law, the Jewish Community of Dnepropetrovsk wrote Friday in a eulogy which it posted on its website, which refers to Yatsina as a hero.
He died at Donetsk’s airport on Jan. 19, the report said.
Ukrainian troops have been fighting since March with separatists in and around Donetsk, Lugansk and a number of other cities, where their fight is supported by Russia. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died in the fighting, which diminished earlier this month following the signing of a ceasefire agreement in Minsk, Belarus.
While many Ukrainian Jews support the government’s fight, many others – especially in the areas directly affected by the fighting – oppose it and support the secessionists.
Yatsina’s former classmates at the economics faculty of Kyiv National Linguistic University described him as a cheerful, witty and upbeat person, a Ukrainian Jewish news website reported.
His body was buried at Kiev’s Berkovetskaya Cemetery following a ceremony held at one of the capital’s synagogues.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO