Son-in-law of slain Ukrainian language advocate and Russian critic Iryna Farion killed in combat

Ukrainian soldier Vasyl Osoba has died fighting Russians in Donetsk Oblast.

Oct 6, 2024 - 16:00

Son-in-law of slain Ukrainian language advocate and Russian critic Iryna Farion killed in combat

Vasyl Osoba, son-in-law of Ukrainian philologist and Russia critic Iryna Farion has been killed in the war. His wife, Sofia Semchyshyn, announced the news.

“Burn in hell, scum! Vasyl Osoba has been killed! My love,” she wrote on Facebook.

Vasyl Osoba, son-in-law of the late Ukrainian philologist and Russian critic Iryna Farion, has been killed in the war with Russia. He leaves behind his wife, Sofia Semchyshyn, and two children.
Farion was shot dead near her home in Lviv on 19 July.
Photo: Sofia Semchyshyn pic.twitter.com/IrHXZuY8C5
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 6, 2024

Osoba died fighting in the Siversk direction in Donetsk Oblast, leaving behind his wife and two children, Eva and Dmytro.

Osoba’s mother-in-law, Iryna Farion, was a prominent advocate for the Ukrainian language and a former member of parliament. She was known for her controversial statements about Russian-speaking Ukrainians.

Farion herself was fatally shot near her home in Lviv on 19 July 2024. She died in hospital hours later.

On 25 July, authorities in the city of Dnipro arrested 18-year-old Vyacheslav Zinchenko as a suspect in Farion’s murder. Zinchenko, charged with premeditated murder, will remain in custody until at least 17 November. The investigation is ongoing, with details being kept confidential.

Read more:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!