"Kindest man in the world": Andrii Kuzmenko, Ukrainian marine officer and husband of journalist, killed in action – photo
Andrii Kuzmenko, a Ukrainian marine, an officer of the Armed Forces and the husband of Ukrainian journalist Anastasiia Fedchenko, has been killed in action. The couple were expecting a new addition to their family as Anastasiia is due to give birth to a baby girl.
Anastasiia Fedchenko, a journalist for Ukrainian news outlet Novynarnia and Pershyi TV channel, announced the tragic news.
"I called you the love of my life. And it's true. My best friend, my protector, my rock. The father of our child. I love you and will always love you. No matter what dimension you are in.
Andrii is gone. And my heart is gone," Anastasiia said in a post.
Anastasiia added that she had hoped her beloved’s death would be nothing more than a nightmare, one that would fade with the dawn. She had dreamed that Andrii would be by her side when their daughter was born.
Dmytro Lykhovii, founder of Novynarnia and an officer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, noted that Andrii Kuzmenko had become part of the editorial team.
"Nastka Fedchenko's husband, Andrii Kuzmenko, a marine officer, her love, hope and her rock, the father of Nastia's child, who will be born very soon, has been killed. Andrii has also become part of our editorial team.
Andrii the warrior will live on in your child and in our memory," Lykhovii wrote.
Journalist Myroslava Malyk expressed her condolences for the loss and added that just a few days ago, her colleague Anastasiia had been reflecting on the year, speaking about her love for her husband and their soon-to-arrive child.
"The grief that has befallen our dear Nastia is indescribable. It’s beyond comprehension. All day, I find myself reflecting on how fragile our happiness truly is.
Just a few days ago, Nastka wrote that the main result of the year was love. In a photo with her beloved and her rounded belly, she radiated the glowing beauty that comes from being surrounded by those you love. And now, Andrii is being carried home on a shield [i.e. he has been killed in action]. And this makes it so bitter that the words of condolence do not stick together. We are all grappling with a harsh reality where love can, in an instant, turn into overwhelming grief," Malyk commented.
Read also: Famous Ukrainian actor Yakiv Tkachenko killed in action
Olha Omelianchuk, a former classmate of Andrii Kuzmenko, remembered him as "the kindest person in the world". She recalled sitting next to him at a school desk when they were both eight years old. Olha shared that their friendship began at that moment and continued to grow throughout the years.
"We're eight. We're sitting at the same desk for the first time. Andrii makes up a song about my braces, and we start fighting over it. A month or two later, we exchanged sandwiches and learned to be friends.
We're 13. We ended up in different schools. I have Andrii's phone number in my Britney Spears notebook. He also wrote mine down somewhere. We call each other on holidays via home phone and occasionally hang out in the botanical garden.
We're 33. I write 'was' about Andrii and then erase it because I can't believe it," Olha says.
Anastasiia Fedchenko and Andrii Kuzmenko tied the knot at the end of September 2023, sharing photos of their special day on social media. At the time, the journalist remarked that being married to an officer came with its own peculiarities, as she would have to "take a little care" of his entire unit.
"People ask me: 'Has anything changed [after marriage]?'. 'Nothing has changed,' I answer honestly. I haven't seen my husband since.
It's strange to get hitched and be together as a couple for just a day. Of course, we are still together. At a distance of 600 km. We write and call each other. When there are no messages for a long time, I get very nervous. But isn't that obvious?
I want to see if something is changing. I want to feel like a wife, not only feeling the wedding ring on my finger but also Andrii Kuzmenko's embrace.
But my husband is in the military. And he does much more for me than give me hugs. He is protecting me," Anastasiia wrote at the time.
Background: At the end of December, Kharkiv modernist poet and prose writer Oleksii Bezpaltsev was killed in action at the front.
Support UP or become our patron!
