SUMMARY
- More than 400 athletes have lost their lives since the Russian invasion started in 2022.
- The soccer athlete lost her life six days after her wedding to his lover, Andrii Kotlyarova.
The Ukraine-Russian war has been active since 2014 after Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity. The latest biggest conflict in the war started when Russian forces started invading in February 2022. The war has impacted both countries on numerous fronts but one story involving a Ukrainian soccer player has gained some spotlight recently.
Business Insider reported that more than 400 athletes have lost their lives since the invasion started. In their memory, The Sports Committee of Ukraine has created a requiem to honor the lives of all these athletes. Among these 400, there was Victoria Kotlyarova who played in the Ukrainian Women’s League.
Kotlyarova lost her life on December 29, 2023, in one of Russia’s massive attacks on Ukraine. The attack took 30 lives including Victoria Kotlyarova and her mother. Kotlyarova started her soccer career playing for her university team at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. She was the champion of the Kyiv Futsal Cup and also won the Dynamo Student League tournament.
Daughter and mother tragically died together in the Russian strike on a warehouse in #Kyiv🕯️
Among the casualties in the Russian missile strike on Kyiv on December 29, 2023, were 27-year-old footballer Victoria Kotlyarova and her mother, Texty org reported. Both of them worked… pic.twitter.com/1sukEid7K0
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) January 5, 2024
Professionally, Kotlyarova played Women’s Ukrainian Premier League and represented teams like Spartak, Yatran, and Uman. The soccer athlete lost her life six days after her wedding to his lover, Andrii Kotlyarova. The requiem page covered her life story in-depth and also revealed that Victoria Kotlyarova retired from soccer and took a job in Poland before tragically losing her life.
Serhii Balanchuk from Dynamo Kyiv’s academy
Victoria Kotlyarova wasn’t the only soccer athlete who lost her life in the Russian invasion. As per reports, Serhii Balanchuk, the former Maccabi Haifa player also lost his life during this ongoing conflict. The player from Ukraine also represented the youth side of the country.
Balanchuk graduated from Dynamo Kyiv’s academy before moving to the Israeli Premier League to represent Maccabi Haifa. He played three seasons in Israel and won one major title, the 1997/98 Israeli Cup. He also received the bronze medal for finishing third in the 1998/99 national championship with Maccabi Haifa.
⚡️The mayor’s office of the Israeli city of Haifa decided to name the street on which the consulate of the Russian Federation is located after Serhii Balanchuk, a Ukrainian football player who played in the Haifa “Maccaba” in 1996-1999.
Balanchuk died in July 2022 near Bakhmut.… pic.twitter.com/slZwttK7fl— FLASH (@Flash_news_ua) June 7, 2023
Balanchuk returned to Dynamo Kyiv which was followed by a spell with FC Vorskla Poltava. He made his final appearance for FC Metalist Kharkiv before retiring from the sport in 2003. After his retirement, Balanchuk moved toward a career in law.
When Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Balanchuk joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The 48-year-old died defending Donetsk region, as a result of artillery fire. In his memory, the city of Haifa has announced that they will name a street after Serhii Balanchuk which is located directly in front of the Russian consulate.