War claims the best: Russian drone strike kills journalist and Air Assault Forces officer Serhii Fisun

Serhii Fisun, a Ukrainian journalist and Air Assault Forces officer, has been killed in a Russian drone strike while on duty. Fisun took part in the Revolution of Dignity and joined Ukraine's defence forces after Russia occupied Crimea.

Source: Oleksandr Rudyk, fellow soldier of Fisun, on Facebook; Alyona Fisun, a sister of Serhii Fisun; journalist Yuliia Spasokutska on Facebook

Details: Serhii Fisun, 47, was killed while carrying out an assigned mission.

Quote from Rudyk: "Serhii bravely defended Ukraine from the occupiers and died on the battlefield as a courageous warrior and Cossack on the morning of 5 February, struck by an enemy Lancet [drone] on the Sloviansk-Kharkiv motorway."

More details: Alyona Fisun described him as "an exceptionally kind person" who was impossible not to remember or love. She said she could always rely on her brother and receive his support even when she did not believe in herself.

Alyona said Serhii sometimes, half-jokingly, dreamed of buying a villa in Spain where he would travel with his loved ones after Ukraine's victory.

Quote from Alyona Fisun: "He gave his life for our freedom, for peaceful skies and for the future he sincerely believed in [...] He loved this country, a peaceful Ukraine for which he went to fight. He loved it sincerely, deeply, without pathos, the way people love their home."

More details: Journalist Yuliia Spasokutska said she had met Serhii when he worked at Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster. She remembered him as a "genuine, kind and good-hearted person".

Serhii Fisun was born into a soldier's family in the city of Kolomyia in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. He studied history at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. He worked as a television correspondent in Kharkiv and was a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.

Fisun took part in the Revolution of Dignity, during which he worked as a photojournalist. After his father was wounded, he joined the 28th Maidan sotnia, a self-defence unit formed during the protests.

After Russia launched its war against Ukraine, he volunteered for the armed forces and completed training, after which he was commissioned as a junior lieutenant.

He received departmental awards, command commendations and an award service weapon for his combat service. Rudyk said that thanks to Fisun's efforts, the unit received humanitarian assistance and multiple media outlets reported on its work.

Quote from Rudyk: "This damned war takes Ukraine's best sons and daughters! They give their lives for us, for Ukraine! And we must be worthy of their sacrifice!"

More details: Serhii Fisun will be buried in Kharkiv in a few days.

Background: It was reported earlier that Kostiantyn Shtyfurak, a Ukrainian journalist, director and soldier, was killed in the war.

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