Ukrainian officer Volodymyr Kiselov dies aged just 32 in Russia’s war of aggression. He sacrificed himself for his troops and enabled their rescue. Kiselov’s friends and family believe he is a hero and tell his story.

Volodymyr Kiselov is 32 years old. He has a wife and a young daughter. But on May 7, near Kharkiv, he decided to serve his fatherland. And so for death.

In order to give his men – members of the special group “Alpha” of the Ukrainian security service – a better chance of retreat in the event of a Russian attack, Kiselov (nicknamed “Vova”) and another officer named “Uncle Sasha” sacrifice themselves. They provide support fire. And then die.

Kiselov’s best friend in the military, Oleksandr Reznikov, remembers the last conversation. “‘Vova’ and ‘Uncle Sasha’ saved the rest of the group. They said to the others: who should do it if not us?”

Kiselov’s friends and family believe he is a hero. The fallen soldier helped change the course of the war for Ukraine.

They want his story to be told, and that story includes an interview that Kiselov gave to Canadian portal The Globe and Mail. 16 days before his death.

It was about the successful defense in Kyiv and the impending outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine. Kiselov expressed his fear of the second stage: that it will be even more difficult and dangerous.

Kiselov’s entourage insists that his death might have been averted had long-range weapons been delivered more quickly. Without hesitation on the part of the West, it was assumed that the need for special units like Kiselov’s task force would have fallen.

Six days before Ukraine announced its intention to use western-supplied howitzers, Kiselov’s battle came to an end.