World News
Ukrainian soldier holds funeral in Kyiv for 21-year-old husband killed on Sumy front
Junior Sergeant Danyil Smyrnov was killed in action alongside three other military intelligence soldiers shortly before the expected birth of his son.
The short version
- Danyil Smyrnov, a 21-year-old junior sergeant and reconnaissance operator with Ukrainian military intelligence, was killed in action on Aug. 28, 2026, on the Sumy front.
- His wife, 21-year-old drone pilot Yeva Smyrnova, attended his funeral on Tuesday at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv while expecting their first child.
- The couple joined the military at age 18 in 2023 and married in July 2025.
Key facts
- Danyil Smyrnov was killed in action on Aug. 28, 2026, on the Sumy front in northeastern Ukraine as part of a group of four military intelligence soldiers killed in action.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Smyrnov held the rank of junior sergeant, served as a reconnaissance operator, trained recruits, and previously commanded an assault unit in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Smyrnov and his wife, drone pilot Yeva Smyrnova, both enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces at age 18 in 2023 and married in July 2025.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Hundreds of mourners attended Smyrnov's funeral service at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on Tuesday.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Smyrnova is due to give birth to the couple's son in September 2026.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Sources
- A pregnant soldier mourns her 21-year-old husband at his funeral in UkraineAssociated Press
- A pregnant soldier mourns her 21-year-old husband at his funeral in UkraineABC News - International