Rugby Star Turned Soldier Dies Defending Ukraine

Ukrainian rugby player Ihor Vlasiuk was killed in action on April 17, 2025, while carrying out a combat mission.

The Lviv Rugby Federation announced this on Facebook, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

"The price of our freedom is incredibly high. The best among us are giving their lives. One of them was Ihor Vlasiuk, a player for RC Batiary Lviv," the statement reads.

The federation noted that Vlasiuk joined the defense of Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He was a sergeant and artillery commander, and died while on a combat mission near the village of Shypuvate, in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region.

"Our sincere condolences go to his parents, sister, and all his loved ones. May the Lord grant his soul peace, and may the memory of Ihor live on forever among us," the Lviv Rugby Federation added.