“They Did Not Die”: The Story of Ukrainian Defender Oleksandr Zubko

By Yusuf İnan | Wise News Press
Journalist, Author | Political and Strategic Analyst

KRYVYI RIH, UKRAINE — Liudmyla Zubko has told Wise News Press about her husband Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier whose death was confirmed after more than two and a half years of agonising uncertainty.

Oleksandr Zubko, a miner before joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, served as a senior gunner in a mortar platoon of the 117th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He disappeared during a combat mission near Mala Tokmachka on 26 December 2023. His family continued to hope for his return until DNA testing confirmed his death in August 2026.

From the author

Wise News Press continues to bring readers the stories of Ukrainian defenders and the families carrying their memory forward.

Every such interview affects me deeply, both as a journalist and as a human being. Behind every fallen defender is a family: children who will never again see their father, wives who remember their final conversation and parents who have buried their sons.

There are plans that will never be completed, embraces that will never happen and words of love that will remain forever unspoken.

The only consolation may be the knowledge that these men and women died while defending their homeland. They did not invade another country or attempt to seize another people’s territory. They defended the land where they were born, where their families lived and where their children were meant to grow up.

Across different religions and cultures, those who give their lives for their homeland are remembered as martyrs, heroes and defenders. But how long can we, as mortal human beings, preserve their memory? How many generations will continue to tell the story of their sacrifice? Can we always remember them with the dignity they deserve?

We cannot provide a reward equal to the lives they surrendered. We can preserve their names, tell their stories and support their families’ efforts to secure official recognition.

We can support petitions calling for fallen soldiers to be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Yet even the need for such campaigns is painful. A person who gave their life for Ukraine is already a hero to their family, comrades and country.

In my view, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Verkhovna Rada should establish a legal mechanism ensuring direct state recognition for servicemen and servicewomen killed while defending Ukraine. Bereaved families should not have to gather thousands of signatures to prove that their husband, father, wife, daughter or son deserves to be remembered by the state.

What can be more precious than a human life? These soldiers gave up the opportunity to return home, raise their children and grow old beside the people they loved. They made that sacrifice to defend Ukraine.

Their true reward cannot be given by us. It will be given by God.

Several wives of fallen defenders whom I interviewed told me that their husbands sometimes visited them in dreams.

“We did not die. We are somewhere else, and we continue to defend Ukraine.”

Perhaps this is how they visit those they love—reassuring them that they can still see and hear their families, even though we can no longer see them.

May their souls rest in peace. Eternal memory to Ukraine’s fallen defenders. May Ukraine live forever.

A hardworking man, a husband and a loved one

Yusuf Inan: Please tell us about Oleksandr. What kind of person was he?

Liudmyla Zubko: Oleksandr Viktorovych Zubko was born in 1987 in Marhanets but grew up in Kryvyi Rih. His parents are Viktor Ivanovych Zubko and Svitlana Pavlivna Zubko. He had a younger brother who, unfortunately, has also passed away.

Oleksandr was a hardworking and responsible person. He valued honesty, worked hard and always took his responsibilities seriously.

Yusuf Inan: Where did he study, and what did he do before the war?

Liudmyla Zubko: He graduated from Secondary School No. 97 in Kryvyi Rih in 2002. In 2006, he completed his studies at the Mining and Electromechanical College of Kryvyi Rih Technical University.

He began working in the mining industry in 2007. He initially worked as a miner at the Frunze Mine and later as an electrical maintenance and repair technician at the Yuvileina Mine. His colleagues respected him for his professionalism, conscientiousness and sense of responsibility.

Yusuf Inan: How did you meet Oleksandr?

Liudmyla Zubko: We met completely unexpectedly. One day, a mutual friend invited me to visit, and Sasha was there. We began talking, gradually grew closer, and our friendship developed into love.

Yusuf Inan: When did you marry?

Liudmyla Zubko: We married on 29 April 2017. It was one of the most important days of our lives—the day we became a family.

Yusuf Inan: What was Oleksandr like in everyday life?

Liudmyla Zubko: He was the person I loved, my husband and the man with whom I shared my feelings, hopes and plans for the future. Losing him left a void in my life that can never be filled.

Service with the 117th Separate Mechanized Brigade

Yusuf Inan: When did Oleksandr join the defence of Ukraine?

Liudmyla Zubko: Oleksandr joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in August 2023. After completing his training, he was assigned to the 117th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

He served as a senior gunner in a mortar platoon and carried out combat missions in the Zaporizhzhia sector, near Mala Tokmachka. He received the “Golden Cross” distinction for his courage, devotion to Ukraine and responsible performance of his military duties.

The final conversation and years of waiting

Yusuf Inan: What was your final conversation with him?

Liudmyla Zubko: Sasha called me at 2 p.m. on 26 December 2023. He told me they were preparing to move to their position. He asked me not to worry and said:

“Don’t worry. Everything will be all right. I’ll be back in a couple of days, and I’ll call you.”

I waited for his call and believed he would contact me as he had promised. But that became our final conversation. At the time, I did not know that I would never hear his voice again.

Yusuf Inan: When did you learn that Oleksandr was missing, and how long did you wait for news?

Liudmyla Zubko: Oleksandr went missing on 26 December 2023 while carrying out a combat mission. A long and painful period of waiting began. We lived with hope, waited for any information and continued to believe until the very end that he would return.

On 3 August 2026, we were officially informed of his death. An investigator called and told me that they had my husband’s remains and that DNA testing had confirmed a match.

After such a long wait, we received the terrible truth. The hardest part was accepting that our hope of seeing him return would never be fulfilled.

Yusuf Inan: What would you say to Oleksandr if you could speak to him once more?

Liudmyla Zubko: I would tell him only one thing: “I love you very much.”

There is so much I would like to tell him. I would like to hear his voice once more, look into his eyes, embrace him and simply be beside him. He has not even appeared in my dreams since the funeral. I miss him deeply, and this pain cannot be expressed in words.

His son will know his father’s story

Yusuf Inan: What can you tell us about Oleksandr as a father and about your son?

Liudmyla Zubko: Unfortunately, Oleksandr did not know about his son. Circumstances unfolded in such a way that he never had the opportunity to learn about him or meet him.

It is extremely painful to know that Sasha could not see his son, hold him, hear his voice or watch him grow. I wish my son could have known his father and experienced his love and support, but life turned out differently.

I will tell my son about Oleksandr—what kind of person he was, how he defended Ukraine and the price he paid for our freedom. I want our son to know his father’s story and to be proud of him.

I will preserve Oleksandr’s memory so that his name continues to live within our family.

A petition for the title of Hero of Ukraine

Yusuf Inan: Why did you create a petition asking for Oleksandr to be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously?

Liudmyla Zubko: I launched electronic petition No. 22/270856-еп, seeking the posthumous conferment of the title of Hero of Ukraine on my husband.

For me, this is not merely an award. It represents recognition of his courage, his service and his contribution to the defence of our country. Oleksandr gave his life for Ukraine, and I want his sacrifice to receive the honour it deserves.

It is painful that the families of fallen defenders must collect signatures, appeal to the public and ask for support so that their loved ones’ sacrifice will be recognised.

I believe the service and sacrifice of Ukrainian soldiers deserve proper attention and fair consideration. I will continue fighting for recognition of my husband’s contribution because he deserves to be remembered, respected and honoured.

My greatest goal is to ensure that Oleksandr is remembered. I want people to know what kind of person he was, what he did for Ukraine and the price he paid for his service.

He will always remain my beloved husband and defender. I will preserve his memory for the rest of my life.

Electronic petition No. 22/270856-еп was published on the official website of the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2026. The collection of signatures continues.

Every signature is more than support for one family’s appeal. It is proof that Ukraine remembers the name of its defender. 

UA

Yusuf Inan

WiseNewsPress.com