Boy Killed by Russian Drone While Writing Homework on Justice

A 14-year-old boy, Daniel Umansky, was killed instantly by a Russian drone strike on his Kyiv apartment on September 25. The attack occurred as he was completing homework on historical figures who protected the vulnerable from oppression.

His father, Zorick Umansky, a 53-year-old wine expert, recounted the incident, stating that Daniel had just written that Volodymyr II of Kyiv, a 12th-century ruler, "did not allow the powerful to oppress the poor and defenceless." Beneath this, Daniel had written "Modern adaptation" and was contemplating a contemporary example when the jet-powered Shahed drone hit their home at approximately 500 km/h (300 mph).

Daniel's unfinished homework, bloodied and torn by the blast, remained open on his desk. "I wasn't in a state to take in such details at first, I was detached from reality," Zorick Umansky told the Mail, later realizing the profound symbolism of his son's final written words. The strike occurred on a day when Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly barraged Ukraine with ballistic missiles.

In the aftermath, Zorick Umansky has urged the world to "pay attention to what Russia is doing." He described the immense psychological trauma his wife, Natalia, 43, is enduring, having witnessed the drone strike directly. "The difference in our experiences is probably 15 seconds. But those 15 seconds that she experienced and I didn't were the hardest, the toughest, the cruellest in any person's life," he said.

The Umansky family is Jewish and had previously lived in Israel. They relocated to Ukraine years before the full-scale invasion. Following Russia's invasion, they returned to Tel Aviv but moved back to Kyiv after the October 7th terror attacks in Israel.

Daniel's last conversation with his father concerned his dream of living in a safe country, a desire born from constant threats in Ukraine. "His dream was that his children would never face that," Zorick recalled. "He was asking me which countries could fulfil his dream."

Zorick, his wife, and their 20-year-old surviving son, Mikhail, have since returned to Tel Aviv and repatriated Daniel's body. He spoke of his son as a foodie who dreamed of traveling to sample cuisines in the Basque Country and Japan. "Every second, you look at the places where we were together," Zorick said, reflecting on everyday moments.

Russia has been sending drones into Ukraine, with the newer jet-powered Shaheds proving more difficult to intercept. The attacks have also targeted infrastructure in Kyiv, with reports of multiple fatalities across the country following the September 25th strikes. Zorick Umansky expressed that the attacks aim to make Kyiv unlivable and inflict psychological terror, particularly as Ukraine is no longer a dominant news trend. He also spoke of the difficult position of Israelis living in Ukraine, facing danger from both Russian attacks and potential anti-Israeli sentiment elsewhere.

Regarding those responsible for his son's death, Zorick Umansky stated, "They cannot be forgiven, the people in charge of the drone strikes that killed my son." He identified Vladimir Putin as the ultimate authority behind these actions. "Right now, in my state, I would look for a tool that would kill him immediately. I would not talk to him," he added.