Following the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, a local sports non-governmental organization has tallied the deaths of at least 77 top Ukrainian athletes across various disciplines. The figure, reported up to July 11, comes from a census conducted by the NGO and cited by Ukrinform, the national news agency. The tally itself reflects athletes who registered as victims during the initial months of the conflict and is expected to be updated as new information emerges from ongoing investigations and reports.
Ukrinform references a detailed report from Sports Angels, a recently established NGO dedicated to documenting the fates of Ukrainian athletes who have died in the war or who have enlisted in the armed forces. The organization notes that the list spans multiple sports and circumstances, illustrating the broad impact of the invasion on Ukraine’s sports community. A forthcoming update on Sports Angels’ site is expected to add further names of athletes who have died in the weeks since the initial count, reflecting the evolving nature of the conflict and its human cost.
The list highlights athletes such as kickboxer Mykola Zabavchuk, rugby league player Maksym Shvets, and local champion Vasyl Paveliev who participated in strongman competitions. It also includes Volodymyr Ulianytsky, a swimmer; Vitaliy Lysun, a water polo coach; Daria Kurdel, a gymnast; and Serhiy Balanchuk, a football player. Each entry underscores the personal narratives behind the statistics, reminding readers that these losses extend across age groups, sports, and regional communities, and that many athletes contributed to Ukrainian sports both on national stages and within local clubs.
Sports Angels was launched in the months preceding this reporting to serve as a centralized source of information about athletes who have perished or who have joined Ukraine’s armed forces. The project began with collaboration from the Ukrainian Sports Committee, and its mission has been to preserve the memory of athletes who embodied perseverance, national pride, and the competitive spirit that characterizes Ukrainian sport. As the conflict endures, the organization continues to document and verify new cases, seeking to provide a transparent record for families, fans, and researchers who study the impact of war on sports and society.