"She was a true Cossack": kickboxing champion Karyna Bakhur, 17, killed in Russian attack

Karyna Bakhur, a 17-year-old champion in kickboxing and Cossack combat, has been killed in a Russian attack on the town of Berestyn in Kharkiv Oblast. Despite doctors' efforts to save her, Karyna died from shrapnel wounds.

Source: Berestyn City Council; Natalyne Village Military Administration; Suspilne Kharkiv, a local branch of Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Details: Svitlana Kryvenko, Head of the Berestyn hromada, said that Karyna was injured while running towards a shelter located in the basement of a house. She was taken to hospital, but died during an operation. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]

Karyna's father, Vitalii Bakhur, told Suspilne Kharkiv that several strikes hit near their house that night. After the first three, the family left, but returned too early – 40 minutes later.

When new explosions occurred about 50 metres from the house, Vitalii and Karyna were in the yard.

Quote from Vitalii: "I was injured together with her – my leg and chest. Karyna was a metre and a half away from me. Perhaps she even shielded me with her body. While I was driving Karyna to hospital, she was unconscious – only occasionally opening her eyes. They wanted to admit me, but I refused. How can I lie down in a hospital bed when I have to bury my daughter?"

Details: Karyna's coach, Volodymyr Zibarov, said she was a third-year student at a pedagogical college and also worked with a group of children aged six to seven.

"Karyna had enormous potential, and the children loved her very much. Even my own daughter trained with her. […] Karyna was determined and goal-oriented, yet at the same time very graceful. She was a true Cossack girl," he said.

Volodymyr added that Karyna's young charges have an upcoming competition where she was to make her debut as a coach.

"We were supposed to leave tonight for the World Cup in Austria. A bloody Russian missile simply took Karyna from us one day earlier," Zibarov noted.

Natalyne Village Military Administration earlier said that Karyna began her sporting career at the age of seven and trained at the Peresvit military-sports club.

She won her first national medals as a teenager and later represented Ukraine internationally.

In 2025, Karyna earned the title of Master of Sport. She was Ukraine's champion in Cossack combat and kickboxing.

She was also a European champion (2023 and 2025) and a medallist at the World Championships (2023) and European Championships (2024) in Cossack combat.

Karyna would have turned 18 on 5 December.

Previously: Nataliia Khodemchuk, 73, died in hospital of injuries sustained as a result of a Russian attack on Kyiv on the night of 13-14 November. Nataliia was the widow of Valerii Khodemchuk, the first victim of the 1986 disaster at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

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