KYIV, Ukraine — A young Ukrainian woman who had returned home to build a life with the man she loved became one of 24 victims in what Ukrainian military officials are calling the war’s most devastating Russian bombardment.
Maryna Homeniuk, 24, had escaped Ukraine when Russia launched its full-scale invasion four years ago. While studying in the Czech Republic, she expanded her already remarkable language skills by learning Vietnamese. After completing her education, she came back to Ukraine in 2023, where she would eventually meet Yurii Orlov through a dating application.
The couple perished Thursday when a cruise missile destroyed their apartment building during what Ukrainian officials described as the most intense Russian assault of the conflict. Orlov, who was 30, served as captain of the Kyiv Floorball Club and had previously played hockey for teams in Ukraine’s capital city.
Friends and relatives gathered Saturday for Homeniuk’s funeral service. Orlov’s burial was postponed as his remains were not yet prepared for the ceremony.
“She was a very caring person. I feel very sorry, because she had so many dreams. She worked with children and wanted to have children herself someday, when times were safer,” her friend Olesia Yukhnovych told The Associated Press.
Those who knew Homeniuk described her as exceptionally gifted with languages, speaking approximately 10 different tongues with fluency in Korean and Chinese. As an English instructor, she worked with young students while harboring hopes of becoming a mother herself when circumstances improved.
Her compassionate nature extended to rescuing stray animals, and she had a passion for international travel, carefully saving money to explore different countries.
“This is a young person. This is a girl who had absolutely the whole future ahead of her,” said Anastasiia Petrushyna, a friend and colleague. “This future will no longer exist — our youth basically can’t have it. You never know what trouble awaits you.”
Despite their contrasting interests — his focus on athletics and hers on creative pursuits — friends observed the deep affection between the pair. Homeniuk attended all of Orlov’s Sunday matches as their weekly ritual. While he introduced her to floorball, a variant of floor hockey, she helped him learn English.
“It’s a shame. I should have been helping prepare for the wedding and I ended up helping prepare for the funeral,” said Yukhnovych. “It’s horrible.”
The tragedy occurred after a particularly harsh winter of continuous Russian bombardments targeting Kyiv. Yukhnovych revealed that the couple frequently discussed moving away from their Darnytsia neighborhood on Kyiv’s left bank, where electricity was restored more slowly than other areas, but lacked the financial means to relocate.
After Thursday’s attack, Yukhnovych attempted to reach Homeniuk through text messages but received no response.
“You never think something could happen to someone close to you, and you just message them as a precaution,” she said. “I never thought this would be one of those times when the message would remain unread.”
