A Ukrainian soldier who is eight months pregnant has been widowed at 21 after her husband, junior sergeant Danyil Smyrnov, was killed in action on the Sumy front in northeastern Ukraine on August 28.
Yeva Smyrnova and Danyil Smyrnov met in 2023 when they were both 18 and joined the Ukrainian army. They married in July 2025, with their son due to be born in the coming weeks. The couple decided to start a family due to the increasing dangers they faced fighting against Russia's full-scale invasion.
"He wanted all of us to be able to live in peace," Smyrnova said at her husband's funeral, held on September 3 at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv. "And in the end, he paid for that with his life."
Smyrnov served as a reconnaissance operator and helped train recruits. His wife, who used the call sign 'Yunha,' was a drone pilot. He was one of four soldiers killed on August 28. Hundreds attended the funeral, including fellow troops who placed roses at his grave.
Smyrnov was 16 when the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. He had been studying psychology in Lithuania but dropped out to join the military after fighting intensified near Bakhmut, where his uncle served. On his 18th birthday, he signed a military contract, telling his father, Oleksandr, "Sorry, Dad, I signed the contract. I forged your signature. Forgive me."
His father, Oleksandr, stated that while he grieves his son's loss, he finds comfort in the anticipation of his grandson.
Smyrnov previously commanded an assault group in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade before being wounded in the legs by shrapnel. After rehabilitation, he transferred to Ukrainian military intelligence. He was active on Instagram, sharing his experiences with over 40,000 followers. In one post, he wrote about the value of life and the realities of war, stating, "War is not romance. It's an experience that strips you down to what's real."
In a social media post five days after her husband's death, Smyrnova wrote, "In a few weeks, his legacy is due to be born, our son, little Smirnov."
