Kyiv Memorial For Brothers-In-Arms Who Fought And Died For Ukraine

A memorial service was held for two Ukrainian soldiers, Serhiy Konoval and Taras Petryshyn, in Kyiv’s Independence Square on April 8. The best friends served in the same unit and were killed in action two days earlier close to the eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar.

They were buried on April 10, a day before Ukraine's parliament passed a new law to expand the government's powers to issue draft notices and limit exemptions from military service.

Konoval's wife, Olha (pictured), wrote on Facebook: "They were together from the beginning, and together they took their last breath for us. For them, this war is over."

Konoval was the godfather of Petryshyn's daughter, Anastasia, who is now without a father and her godfather.

 

Relatives and friends pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.

Konoval previously served as a paramedic in 2014. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Konoval, who went by the call sign Nord, and Petryshyn, who went by Chimera, volunteered together.

Konoval served as a commander in the 2nd Rifle Battalion of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade with Petryshyn as his deputy.

The grieving mother of Serhiy Konoval kneels at her son's coffin.

Friends and family of the fallen comfort each other. On social media, a friend wrote that Petryshyn went to fight despite being in ill-health.

A Ukrainian soldier looks at portraits of his fallen comrades.

Ukrainian soldiers pay their respects. Konoval and Petryshyn died near Chasiv Yar, which has increasingly been targeted by Russian attacks. Ukraine's former commander in chief, General Valeriy Zaluzhniy, said in February that Ukraine needed up to 500,000 new recruits this year to strengthen forces and replace expected losses.

Honor guards prepare to fold two flags that were presented to the soldiers families.