A pregnant Ukrainian soldier who met her husband fighting against Russia has become a widow aged 21 after he was killed in action.
Junior sergeant, Danyil Smyrnov, was one of four soldiers killed on the Sumy front in northeastern Ukraine on August 28.
His widow, Yeva Smyrnova, who is eight months pregnant with their son, mourned his death at the funeral held at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on September 3.
‘He wanted all of us to be able to live in peace,’ she said. ‘And in the end, he paid for that with his life.’
Hundreds attended the service at the monastery, typically used for soldiers’ funerals, including fellow troops who placed bouquets of roses at his grave.
The couple first met when they joined the army, aged 18 in 2023. They then married two years later in July 2025.
Mr Smyrnov served as a reconnaissance operator and helped train recruits, while his widow was a drone pilot operating under the call sign ‘Yunha.’
Given the increasing danger the couple faced in the fight against Putin’s Russia, they decided to start a family.
Junior sergeant, Danyil Smyrnov, pictured with his wife, Yeva Smyrnova met when they joined the Ukrainian army in 2023
Mr Smyrnov was one of four soldiers killed on the Sumy front in northeastern Ukraine on August 28
The couple, pictured wearing army fatigues, were due to welcome a child together before Mr Smyrnov was killed
Speaking about the decision to have a child, Ms Smyrnova said: ‘We dreamed of this child, but because we were both always at war, it was very difficult.’
Five days after her husband’s death, she said on social media: ‘In a few weeks, his legacy is due to be born, our son, little Smirnov.’
Mr Smyrnov was just 16 and finishing school when the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
He started studying psychology at a Lithuanian university but dropped out after fighting intensified around Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where his uncle was serving.
The day Mr Smyrnov, who was known as ‘Surfer’ – due to the time he spent surfing in Bali while visiting his mother – turned 18, he signed a military contract.
His father, Oleksandr recalled the day his son told him that he was going to war.
‘He – called me that evening, very happy, and said, “Sorry, Dad, I signed the contract. I forged your signature. Forgive me,”‘ he said.
The bereaved father added that despite the difficulty of losing his son he found comfort in the thought of having a grandson.
Mr Smyrnov commanded an assault group in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade before he was wounded by shrapnel in both legs, underwent rehabilitation and then transferred to Ukrainian military intelligence.
During his time in the military, he frequently posted about the war to more than 40,000 followers on Instagram.
In one post, written around his birthday, Mr Smyrnov wrote: ‘In my 20 years, I’ve understood one thing: 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.’
The post continued: ‘The choice is simple: who will you be – a victim, or someone who takes responsibility?’
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