10-year-old Ukrainian karate star and his family killed in Russian attack on Kyiv
On 8 July, a Russian missile struck an apartment block in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district, killing 10-year-old Maksym Symaniuk, his younger sister Anastasiia, and their mother, Zoriana, 40.
The deaths were reported by the Ukrainian Karate Federation. Maksym was heavily involved in the sport.
"Maksym Symaniuk. A Russian missile struck his home today, killing him, his mother, and his sister. Maksym will be forever ten years old. [We extend our] Sincere sympathies to his father, the Champion club where Maksym trained, and his coach," the federation noted.
Maksym and his sister were both very involved in sport: Maksym did karate training, while Anastasiia was a gymnast.
"A Russian missile killed a whole family. Today, Maksym Simaniuk would have been on his way to a sports camp with my son. They were both involved in the same sports club. Now one of the seats on the train is empty.
Everything has been destroyed – their plans, their unmet hopes, their little lives.
There is no forgiveness for these inhumans who deliberately kill Ukrainian children," Alona Romanenko wrote.
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Lina Teslenko posted on social media to say that her daughter Iryna and Maksym were classmates. Following the attack, the children had tried to contact Maksym, hoping he might answer.
"I didn't dare tell Iryna yesterday that Maksym had passed away. She asked a lot of questions before going to bed: what kind of injuries do people have when they’re trapped under the rubble? How many hours can you survive without air? Why is it taking so long to clear the rubble away? Maybe Maksym’s phone is out of charge or has been crushed, and that’s why he’s not responding?...
How do you answer these questions, especially when you already know the answer?" Lina wrote on Facebook.
Sadly, neither Maksym nor Anastasiia survived. Rescue workers found their mother alive under the wreckage, but she later died of her injuries.
Friends and acquaintances have been posting messages of condolence for the family.
"Today our hearts are brimming with anguish. Ten-year-old Maksym Simaniuk, his mother and sister were killed in a strike in Kyiv yesterday.
Their smiles and their joy lit up everything around them. It’s hard to accept they are no longer with us. We really feel for their loved ones," Liubov Riabko wrote.
Maksym’s coach Volodymyr Boiev also reacted to the death of his young student, posting a story on Instagram.
The Russian Federation launched a missile attack on Kyiv, injuring 117 people. Four children were killed.
The Russians also targeted medical facilities, including the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, the ISIDA maternity hospital, and the ADONIS medical centre.
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