# Pregnant Ukrainian soldier who met her husband fighting in Russia’s full-scale invasion becomes a widow at 21 after he was killed in action

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/pregnant-ukrainian-soldier-who-met-her-husband-fighting-in-russias-full-scale-invasion-becomes-a-widow-at-21-after-he-was-killed-in-action/
- Published: 2026-09-03T22:01:17+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-03T22:15:16+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16103301/Pregnant-Ukrainian-soldier-widow-husband-killed.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Business, Europe, Markets, World

## Key points

- Ukrainian soldier Danyil Smyrnov, 21, killed on Sumy front, 28 August
- Wife Yeva Smyrnova, 21, is eight months pregnant with their son
- Couple met and married in the army; funeral held in Kyiv, 3 September

## Summary

A 21-year-old Ukrainian soldier, Yeva Smyrnova, has been widowed while eight months pregnant after her husband, Junior Sergeant Danyil Smyrnov, was killed alongside three other soldiers on the Sumy front in northeastern Ukraine on 28 August. The couple had met when they both joined the army aged 18 in 2023 and married in July 2025, choosing to start a family despite the dangers of their frontline roles. His death highlights the personal toll of Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion on young Ukrainians who came of age during the war.

Smyrnov, known by the call sign "Surfer", was 16 and still at school when the invasion began in February 2022; he later dropped out of a psychology degree in Lithuania to enlist as soon as he turned 18. He served as a reconnaissance operator with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, was wounded by shrapnel before transferring to military intelligence, and documented his experiences to over 40,000 Instagram followers. His funeral took place at St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on 3 September, attended by hundreds including fellow soldiers, while his widow, a drone pilot known as "Yunha", said their son is due in a few weeks.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.