‘Hero Of Ukraine’ Dies In Battle As Russian Advance Continues

Topline

The commander of a Ukrainian volunteer force who had earned the highest Ukrainian award—the so-called Hero of Ukraine—and was featured on Forbes’ Under 30 list in Ukraine last year died in battle Tuesday morning, as Russian troops continue to advance on Ukrainian territory after a Ukrainian counteroffensive last fall.

Key Facts

Dmytro Kotsyubaylo, 26, was killed in battle near the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram, calling him a “hero of Ukraine, volunteer, man-symbol, man-courage.”

Kotsyubaylo, who went by the call sign “Da Vinci,” served as a captain of a volunteer battalion called the “Right Sector,” but never joined Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

News Peg

Ukrainian officials on Tuesday urged residents in Kherson to evacuate, amid an onslaught of Russian air strikes, including some that have targeted residential areas and key infrastructure. The city—considered to be strategic because of its location just north of Russian-held Crimea—has been the focus of Russia’s increased aerial attacks in recent months after Ukrainian forces recaptured the city from Russia last fall, after months of Russian occupation.

Big Number

18,995. That’s the number of Ukrainian civilian casualties since Russia launched its invasion just over a year ago, according to a February 13 report from the United Nations Human Rights Office. That includes nearly 7,200 people killed and more than 11,750 injured. More than half of the casualties occurred in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, according to the U.N. report. Most of those were in Ukrainian-held territories, while just over 2,200 were recorded in Russian-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.

Further Reading

Hero of Ukraine Dmitry Kotsyubaylo (Da Vinci) died near Bakhmut (Forbes)

Military Casualties In Russia-Ukraine War Are Likely Less Than Commonly Stated (Forbes)

U.S. Thinks Pro-Ukrainian Group Blew Up Nord Stream Pipelines, Report Says (Forbes)