A pregnant woman in Kyiv mourns her 21-year-old husband, who was killed in action KYIV, Ukraine -- A pregnant woman in a black dress stood at the head of her 21-year-old husband’s casket Tuesday in Kyiv, mourning the man she met when they were both soldiers fighting Russia's full-scale invasion of their country. Yeva Smyrnova and Danyil Smyrnov both joined the army in 2023, at 18, and married two years later, in July 2025. Young as they were, decided they needed to hurry and start a family.
He held the rank of junior sergeant, served as a reconnaissance operator, and helped train recruits. He dreamed of being the best father," Smyrnova told The . But instead of choosing a name for her firstborn child, she and hundreds of others came to say goodbye to her husband at St.
Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery. In the days after Smyrnov's death, his wife wrote online that their son would be “his continuation.” The monastery, where Ukraine typically holds funeral services for soldiers killed in the war, was packed. Mourners of all ages came to pay their respects, including fellow soldiers holding bouquets of roses.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Smyrnov was 16 and finishing high school. He went on to study psychology at a university in Lithuania but did not stay long — fighting had intensified around Bakhmut, where his uncle was serving at the time, and the young man left his studies. As soon as he turned 18, he signed a military contract.
Forgive me,’” recalled his father, Oleksandr Smyrnov, his voice shaking. He struggled to speak about his son, but embraced his daughter-in-law, saying he also found some comfort in the grandson soon to arrive. Danyil Smyrnov went on to command an assault group in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.
He was wounded by shrapnel in both legs and underwent rehabilitation, then returned to service, later transferring to Ukrainian military intelligence. Many knew him by his call sign, “Surfer” — from the age of 6, he had flown to visit his mother in Bali every summer, where he became a skilled surfer. They were both fighting for life, for a shared future.” Now his wife is left alone, widowed at 21.
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