A pregnant Ukrainian soldier, Yeva Smyrnova, mourned her 21-year-old husband, Danyil Smyrnov, at his funeral Tuesday in Kyiv. The couple, both soldiers, were married in July 2025 and had planned to start a family amid the ongoing conflict.

Danyil Smyrnov, who served as a junior sergeant and reconnaissance operator in military intelligence, was killed in action on August 28, 2026, on the Sumy front in northeastern Ukraine. He was one of four soldiers in his unit killed in the incident. He joined the army at 18, shortly after leaving university in Lithuania where he had gone to study psychology. His father recounted that Danyil forged his father's signature to enlist as soon as he turned 18, driven by the intensifying fighting around Bakhmut.

Yeva Smyrnova, a drone pilot known by the call sign “Yunha,” is expecting their son this month. She told The Associated Press that Danyil had deeply desired to be a father. Instead of choosing a name for their child, she attended his funeral at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, a frequent site for services honoring fallen soldiers. She had previously written online that their son would be Danyil's "continuation."

Hundreds gathered at the monastery to pay their respects to Danyil Smyrnov, who was also known by the call sign “Surfer.” He had a passion for surfing, visiting Bali annually from the age of six. Despite being wounded by shrapnel in both legs and undergoing rehabilitation, he returned to service. His eulogy read, "Despite all the horrors of war, Dania managed to find his treasure — his girlfriend, and later his wife, Yeva. Their relationship changed them both. They were both fighting for life, for a shared future."

In a past Instagram post, Danyil Smyrnov reflected on his 20 years, stating, "people don’t value life until they feel its edge. … War is not romance. It’s an experience that strips you down to what’s real." He added, "The choice is simple: who will you be — a victim, or someone who takes responsibility?"

His wife, now widowed at 21, stated, "He wanted all of us to be able to live in peace. And in the end, he paid for that with his life."