‘Back Home’: Family Who Fled the Frontline Buried After Kyiv Strike

College sweethearts Mykyta and Sofia Lamekhov had simple hopes: safety for their family and a fresh start away from the war they believed they had left behind in eastern Ukraine.

Mykyta, 23, and Sofia, 22, fled their frontline hometown of Sloviansk for the capital Kyiv, where they established a home for their two-year-old son, Lev, and the baby Sofia was expecting.

“Young people always have plans. It seems their whole life is ahead of them — they want more, anything can be overcome,”
— Sofia’s father, Svyatoslav Gaponov

Almost three years after escaping the fighting, the war tragically caught up with them.

Last week, a Russian missile struck their nine-storey residential building during one of Kyiv’s deadliest attacks since Russia’s 2022 invasion, killing 32 people that night.

The barrage served as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by Ukrainians far from the frontlines.

Funeral and Memories

At their funeral in Sloviansk, Gaponov, a respected member of the Protestant congregation, led the service with steady resolve as mourners wept.

Sofia’s grandmother wept silently, clasping her hands as a slideshow played, showing the couple joyfully holding Lev.

“They were young and we thought they’d be better off in Kyiv. It was quieter,”
— Gaponov, 45

City officials report that over 422,700 people from across Ukraine have sought refuge in Kyiv, partly due to the city’s advanced air defence systems.

The Hometown of Sloviansk

Sloviansk lies in Donetsk region — ground zero for some of the fiercest fighting since Russia’s invasion. It was also the site of a 2014 uprising by Kremlin-backed separatists amid national unrest following pro-democracy protests.

Though the rebels briefly seized the industrial city, Ukrainian forces soon reclaimed it.

Childhood Bonds Amid Conflict

Despite the conflict, Sofia’s childhood friend Daria Pasichnychenko recalls their teenage years fondly.

“I remember my 17th birthday when Sofia’s parents didn’t want me to come because we could be ‘a little crazy’,”
— Pasichnychenko, 22

The girls eventually persuaded Sofia’s parents, bonded by their inseparability.

In Kyiv, the two women lived just around the corner from each other, near the supermarket where Mykyta worked. They checked in regularly whenever air raid sirens sounded and explosions echoed.

Intensified Russian Attacks

Russian forces intensified their assaults last month, firing more drones at Ukraine than at any previous time since the invasion, according to an AFP analysis.

In the early hours of 31 July, Russia launched 309 drones and eight missiles — one of which struck Sofia’s home.

“That morning, I messaged her: ‘Hi, are you alive?’”
— Pasichnychenko

“I’m still waiting for a reply.”

The Family’s Tragic Loss

It took a full day for Sofia’s family to confirm that Sofia, Mykyta, and Lev had been killed.

Sofia’s mother, Natalya Gaponova, found some solace in knowing they had died together.

“My husband said: Imagine if they had been with us and only Mykyta died — how painful and difficult it would have been for her,”
— Gaponova

The family was killed instantly, in their sleep, according to autopsy reports.

“That was probably the best thing for the three of them. Why? Because they were all together.”

The Burial

Under the scorching sun, two coffins — one smaller — were laid to rest at the local cemetery.

Mykyta’s mother stood almost motionless as a choir sang, then collapsed beside the coffins.

Lev’s coffin was lowered last, following his parents.

“It’s important that we bring them back home to Sloviansk. One day we will all meet again,”
— Svyatoslav Gaponov

Summary Table: The Lamekhov Family

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