Kyiv bids farewell to the daughters of a fallen volunteer who were killed by a Russian missile

A farewell ceremony was held at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv for two sisters—12-year-old Lyubava and 17-year-old Vira Yakovlevy. The girls were killed when a Russian missile struck a residential high-rise in the Darnytskyi district during a massive shelling of the capital on the night of May 13. 

This was reported by hromadske.

The deceased sisters were the daughters of Ukrainian volunteer Yevhen Yakovlev, whose call sign was “Ryzhyi.” Their father served in the ranks of the 126th Battalion and was killed in action in April 2023 during an artillery attack. The younger girl was in sixth grade, and the older one was a sophomore at the KNUTD College of Arts.

Numerous classmates, students, teachers, and school administrators came to pay their respects to the deceased. Ukrainian military personnel and their fallen father’s comrades-in-arms were also present at the farewell ceremony. In his eulogy, Bishop Yefrem emphasized the tragedy of the loss and noted that the enemy is trying to destroy the Ukrainian nation, but will not be able to break its heart and its desire for freedom.

Since May 1, Russia has killed at least 70 civilians in Ukraine and wounded more than 500, according to the UN.

On May 14, in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv, a nine-story residential building collapsed after being struck by a Russian missile.