Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19: Motorcycle enthusiast and devoted friend

Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, from Ramat Gan, was killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and his body dragged into Gaza and held captive.

Kiril, a soldier in the the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade, went that morning with his comrades and his commander, Col. Asaf Hamami to help battle the Hamas attack on Kibbuz Nirim.

Kiril, Asaf and Staff Sgt. Tomer Ahimas were killed inside Nirim, and their bodies all abducted to Gaza.

For more than six weeks, Kiril was considered a Hamas hostage until the IDF declared his death on November 28, officially listing his status as a “fallen IDF soldier held captive by a terror group.” His funeral was held the following day in the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery.

On July 24, 2024, the IDF recovered his body in Gaza and returned it to Israel. Tomer’s body was also returned, while Asaf’s remains captive in Gaza.

Kiril is survived by his parents, Victor and Elena, and his sister Alina.

“Everything he achieved in his short life, he achieved on his own,” his mother said at the funeral.

“If he had a goal, he would always reach it. He was a hard worker and always ready to help anyone,” she said.

“On October 7… he went to Nirim and saved people there, and when he fell, he saved others. And I am proud of him for what he did, but on the other hand, it’s so hard for me not to see him or hear his laughter anymore.”

Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama offered his condolences to the family of Kiril Brodski, saying: “I talked to his mother, and my heart was torn by the intensity of her grief and pain. The entire city shares in the family’s pain.”

According to family and friends, Kiril was an avid motorcycle enthusiast. He traveled all over the country on his motorcycles, and dozens of his friends arrived at his funeral on motorcycles to honor his memory.

According to a report by Israeli media outlet Ynet, three years ago, Kiril fulfilled a childhood dream and purchased a motorcycle. Two years later, he replaced it with an even bigger one.

He also managed to convince his father, Victor, to join in on the hobby, and eventually, the two of them both had licenses and could ride together.

Miri Samorov, his girlfriend, started taking riding lessons to surprise him when he returned from the war.

“The idea that I would also have a license excited him. He always drove me but said he wanted us both to ride together, next to each other,” she said.

“Now, even though he is no longer here, I will complete the lessons and pass the test, and then I will buy a motorcycle and ride in his memory.”

“We lost a friend, we lost a brother, and we lost a hero,” said Brodski’s friend, Yair. “I salute you.”

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