- A Ukrainian soldier survived for over a year on the frontlines of the war against Russia.
- Ukraine says he was killed in a Russian attack after returning home.
A Ukrainian soldier survived for more than a year on the front lines in the war against Russia, only to die in a Russian attack on his first day of work after he returned home to his family, according to Ukraine's defense ministry, who posted the story to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Wednesday.
Petro Burban, a father of three, "went to the front lines as a volunteer in the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion," the post said. "Petro served for a year and a half. Then, he returned home and got a job."
The defense ministry said Burban arrived for his first day at the Caritas-Spes humanitarian aid warehouse on Tuesday but was killed there "as a result of a Russian terrorist attack on this warehouse."
—Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 20, 2023
Burban, a 32-year-old native of Davydiv, Lviv Oblast, volunteered to fight in the war in April 2022, according to Ukrainska Pravda. After he returned home, he was looking for a job for two weeks before finding a position at this warehouse.
A woman who knows Burban from their home village told Ukrainska Pravda that Burban was a good man.
"He fought in the war. He came from a good family. A loving father, son, and brother," Ivanna Horyn said. "He often came to the village. The last time we saw him was after Easter. There is nothing bad to say about him. He was very kind."
Burban is survived by his three kids, aged 7, 5, and 2 1⁄2 old, according to Pravda.