A Former Ukrainian National Soccer Team Player Was Killed On The Front Lines
2- 17.10.2026, 11:36
- 1,256
Roman Maksimyuk has been defending his country with a weapon in hand since 2022.
Former midfielder for the Ukrainian national team and Kyiv’s Dynamo Roman Maksimyuk was killed in the war against Russian occupiers. The athlete, who served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, had been considered missing in action for about 20 months after attempting to break out of an encirclement in the Donetsk region. His wife, Vera Maksymiuk, announced his death on October 16 .
Roman Maksimyuk joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the fall of 2022. He initially served in a mobile fire group that destroyed enemy aerial targets. Later, he was transferred from Lutsk to the Kharkiv sector.
The former soccer player served as a gunner in the 25th Sicheslav Airborne Brigade and fought for a long time on the front lines in the most intense areas of combat. He was awarded for his bravery and courage.
The 50-year-old soldier last contacted his wife on January 30, 2025. At that time, he warned Vera that he was heading to a position in the Pokrovsk sector and might be out of contact for a long time.
After that, Roman stopped communicating. It was reported that he had been attempting to break out of an encirclement by Russian occupiers in the Donetsk region. Since early 2025, the soldier had been listed as missing under special circumstances.
His family and loved ones held out hope until the very end that he had managed to escape. However, his death was confirmed by the results of a DNA analysis. A sample previously provided by the soccer player’s daughter, Daria, was used for identification.
On June 7, 2025, the Ukrainian national team took the field for a friendly match against Canada wearing the jersey and military uniform of the former “Volyn” player, honoring his memory.
Roman’s wife announced her husband’s death on October 16 and thanked everyone who had supported the family and helped search for the defender.
“There was no miracle… A year of hope, anticipation, prayers, and faith... A year during which we lived between heaven and earth, clinging to the slightest glimmer of hope and believing that Roma would return home,” wrote Vera Maksimyuk.
She also urged people to remember her husband not only as a missing person, but also as a man who was loved and awaited at home.
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