Ukraine Jewish soldier decorated for bravery by Zelensky, killed in Donetsk explosion

Leonid Krasnov, 35, who reportedly wanted to move to Israel and whose mother is principal of a Jewish school, was killed in a blast while fighting Russian invasion

By ToI Staff 5 July 2023, 3:19 pm

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Leonid Krasnov, a Jewish Uranian soldier killed on the frontlines of the Ukraine-Russia war in early July 2023, in an undated photo. (Picture from Facebook used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A Ukrainian Jewish soldier, who was honored for bravery last year by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, was killed in recent days during fighting with Russian troops in the eastern region of Donetsk.

The son of a Jewish school principal, Leonid Krasnov wished to eventually immigrate to Israel, the Ynet news site reported.

The announcement of Krasnov’s death appeared on the Facebook page of his combat unit.

It said the 35-year-old was killed in a blast in Donetsk, which has been a focal point of fighting with Russia since the invasion began last year.

“[He] was one of the first reconnaissance fighters of the K-2 combat group,” read the post. “The best die on a daily basis.”

Amongst other decorations, last year Krasnov was honored with the Golden Cross and the Order For Courage from Zelensky and the head of the Ukrainian military.

The death of the #Hero, who sacrificed his life for peace and #freedom of his country
The warrior, Leonid Krasnov, the son of the #Dnipro #Jewish school №144 headmistress, Elena Krasnovova, has lost his life, heroically defending #Ukraine on the frontline. pic.twitter.com/ZA8nlPmWpD

— FJCU (@FJCU) July 4, 2023

According to his unit, Krasnov was one of the founders of a combat intelligence unit in the Ukrainian military.

He was an only child and lived in Dnipro, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Ukraine.

On Twitter, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) called Krasnov a “hero who sacrificed his life for peace and freedom of his country.”

This photograph taken on June 28, 2023, shows a heavily damaged residential building in the frontline town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Genya Savilov/AFP)

According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, the FJCU has said hundreds of Ukrainian Jews have been either wounded or killed during the war.

According to the Immigration and Absorption Ministry, several thousand Ukrainian Jews have immigrated to Israel since the Russian offensive began in February 2022.

Israel has not sent requested defensive weapons to Ukraine, but has condemned the Russian invasion. It has also sent significant humanitarian aid.