Newlywed Ukrainian couple planned Christmas with Sinatra—Russia made her widow instead

Yaroslav Buzko was sitting by a window in his Dnipro office when a Russian drone struck the building on 30 September, killing him just 10 days after his wedding.

His brother Serhiy couldn't reach him by phone after the attack. When he finally got through on Telegram, someone else answered. They were loading the 27-year-old Buzko into an ambulance.

Buzko's wife, Bohdana Vitiaz, posted on social media the next day, on 1 October, that her husband was murdered by "damned russia."

"We celebrated our wedding on Friday," she wrote. "I didn't have time to change my documents before I became a widow. "

"My heart is broken. Honestly, I don't know how I'll cope with this loss, because we were everything to each other. You were the best person I knew. Words cannot express how much I love you."

The couple had known each other for years before marrying. Bohdana posted their last photo together on Instagram, saying that they look happy but tired, unpacking gifts from their wedding. She wrote that they had dreamed of listening to Sinatra on a record player this Christmas. "I'm so sorry we won't be able to do this together," she added.

Buzko had trained as a super heavyweight combat athlete for much of his life, his coach Hennadiy shared on Facebook. He recently began developing his own business while continuing to train.

"I cite you as an example to all subsequent generations of my students and to my son, because you were an athlete who trained 5-6 days a week and also managed to study and pass the school exams as one of the best in Ukraine," Hennadiy wrote.

Hennadiy's tribute continued: "Perhaps too modest, but undoubtedly resilient, balanced, and loyal. You never refused anyone when they needed your help. You are a student that every coach would be proud of, thank you for being in my life."

Serhiy described his brother as someone who regularly helped animal shelters and responded when friends or family needed assistance, according to Suspilne.

"Young, he had just started his path. Everything was just starting to work out for him: he was developing his career," Serhiy said. "He was always ready to help friends, especially family, and anyone who cared. He loved animals very much."

The attack on 30 September injured 31 people across Dnipro. Three were minors: a 10-year-old boy and two teenagers, both 17.

Fires broke out in office buildings. Two cars burned completely. Seventeen others sustained damage, along with residential buildings, a dormitory, and a cultural center.