Ukraine buries boxing coach whose kitchen wall was torn out in Russian attack

Herbert Villaraga

DNIPRO, UKRAINE (Reuters) – A Ukrainian boxing coach who was killed in a Russian missile attack that ripped open the walls of his daughter’s fourth birthday apartment was laid to rest with family, friends and colleagues on Tuesday. was done.

Hundreds of mourners attended Mikhail Korenovsky’s memorial service

A recent family video showed his daughter smiling as he blew out the candles on his birthday cake. Meanwhile, Mr. Korenovsky was standing behind her in the kitchen, holding another child in his arms.

The outer wall of the kitchen was gone, leaving the room exposed to the elements. The modern yellow unit is clearly visible from the outside, but household items such as chairs, tables, fruit bowls, and microwaves are left undisturbed.

Colleague Olef Bilenko said at Korenovsky’s memorial service, “He tried to pay attention to everyone, to all trainees. He trained boxers at a high level, but he didn’t care about children.” I never forgot,” he said.

“He really loved the kids who were just starting out in boxing. He encouraged them to join and teach boxing. He always tried to fully commit himself. He was very He was a balanced person.”

Korenovsky’s family wept as friends offered their condolences and covered his coffin with flowers. No other family members were home when the apartment was raided.

Another colleague, Oleksandr Bohutsky, said many of Korenovsky’s boxers have found success with both children and adults.

“Our sports school, the city, the region and, honestly, the whole country were proud of his sporting achievements and the achievements of his students,” Bohutsky said.

Emergency services on Tuesday concluded a search for survivors after Saturday’s attacks, with 44 confirmed dead and 20 still missing, they said.

(Written by Timothy Heritage, edited by Gareth Jones)