![]() ![]() He's ready to fight no matter how many years it will take. He warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed ready for a very long war.ĭMYTRO KOTSIUBAILO: (Through interpreter) Putin won't give up. KAKISSIS: In an interview late last month, Kotsiubailo also seemed stressed about the future. But now we can't even think about the future because we don't know what will happen. She says the war is forcing so many young Ukrainians to forgo their dreams in order to keep Ukraine intact.ĭIANA KOZYR: (Through interpreter) This war not only takes away our lives, but also our youth. ![]() Eighteen-year-old Diana Kozyr sang along to the national anthem. KAKISSIS: When it came time to take Kotsiubailo's coffin to its final resting place, those in the crowd fell to their knees as a sign of respect. ![]() Two years ago, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Kotsiubailo the country's highest honor, the Hero of Ukraine, making him one of the youngest to receive the distinction. KAKISSIS: Kotsiubailo became Ukraine's youngest military commander at age 21. I want him to understand what it means to be a real patriot. I grew up forced to glorify old heroes from a foreign state. KARINA NIKOLAEVA: (Through interpreter) I want to show my child how everything starts and how it ends in Ukraine right now. Twenty-five-year-old Karina Nikolaeva brought her 5-year-old son. They wept as they sang Ukraine's national anthem and held bouquets of roses and carnations. KAKISSIS: Thousands of mourners waited in long lines to see the hero they called Da Vinci. On Friday, Kotsiubailo returned in a coffin as a legendary soldier who devoted his life to defending Ukraine in the harshest of battles with Russia. JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Nine years ago when Dmytro Kotsiubailo (ph) was a fresh-faced teenager, he was in Kyiv's Maidan Square, protesting against a Russian-backed president who compromised Ukraine's independence. Thousands of Ukrainians turned out for his funeral in Kyiv yesterday. He gave up his dream of going to art school to fight for his country, and he died defending the eastern city of Bakhmut earlier this week. Da Vinci, the famous Ukrainian war hero, has died. ![]()
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