Former Ukrainian national team soccer player Roman Maksymiuk killed about 20 invaders in combat

Former Ukrainian national soccer team player Roman Maksymiuk, who fought to defend his country against Russian occupiers, killed about 20 enemy soldiers during a single battle. The media reported on the combat record of the athlete, who died in the war.

According to preliminary reports, Roman Maksymyuk’s life was cut short on approximately March 11, 2025.

Roman Maksymiuk put up heroic resistance until his last breath

In the fall of 2022, Roman decided to follow in the footsteps of his younger brother Andriy and went to defend Ukraine. Starting in January 2025, he took part in combat operations in the Donetsk sector as a gunner with the 25th Separate Sicheslav Airborne Brigade of the Airborne Assault Forces. His comrades note Maksymyuk’s exceptional effectiveness in combat. The explosive speed that had made Roman stand out in soccer also served him well on the battlefield.

In the spring of 2025, Maksymyuk and his comrades were tasked with defending a position near the village of Lysivka in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk Oblast. Roman was the senior officer at the position. This stronghold was of key importance, as it was located between our first and second airborne battalions.

A former soldier of the 25th Airborne Brigade recounted that Maksymiuk displayed heroism by holding back the occupiers’ assault. Exceptional heroism. In critical situations, he would run out onto the main road and not only eliminate the enemy but also remove their bodies from the battlefield, attempting to effectively conceal them and thereby mislead the invaders’ command regarding the actual situation. After seizing a radio station, Maksymiuk maintained contact with the Russians, posing as one of their soldiers, to secure provisions and other essential supplies.

A serviceman from the 25th Airborne Brigade notes that in small-arms combat alone, Maksymiuk eliminated between 15 and 20 occupiers. On one occasion, Roman found himself practically at the enemy’s gunpoint, but thanks to his quick reflexes, he was able to eliminate the enemy.

Roman Maksymyuk’s life was cut short on approximately March 11, 2025, near Lyskovka. An enemy assault group managed to sneak up on the Ukrainian soldiers’ shelter and bombard it with grenades. Our soldiers put up heroic resistance until their last breath, but in the end, they all died. Among them was Roman Maksymiuk.

However, it was not possible to evacuate the soldiers’ bodies immediately. DNA analysis confirmed Roman’s death only on October 15, 2026. Immediately afterward, the command of the 25th Separate Sicheslav Airborne Brigade decided to submit a recommendation for the posthumous conferral of the title “Hero of Ukraine” upon Roman Maksymiuk.

Roman Maksymiuk’s Soccer Career

Roman Maksymiuk began his journey in professional soccer in fourth grade, when he started training at the Nadvirna Children’s and Youth Sports School. Throughout his playing career, he played for numerous clubs, including “Krystal” (Chortkiv), “Beskyd,” CSKA, “CSKA-Borysfen,” “Khutrovyk,” “Prykarpattia” (Ivano-Frankivsk), “Zenit,” “Dynamo” (Kyiv), “Dnipro” (Dnipro), and “Volyn.” He made his debut in the Ukrainian Premier League on July 25, 1995, in a match between “Prykarpattia” and “Tavria,” which ended in a 4–3 victory for the Ivano-Frankivsk team.

In addition to his club career, Maksymiuk represented the Ukrainian national team, playing five matches for them. His international debut came on August 19, 1998, in a friendly match against the Georgian national team, where the Ukrainian players secured a convincing 4–0 victory.

This was reported with reference to sport.ua.

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