Pregnant Ukrainian drone pilot mourns husband killed on Sumy front

Yeva Smyrnova, a pregnant drone pilot known by the call sign “Yunha,” attended the funeral of her husband, junior sergeant Danyil Smyrnov, at Kyiv’s St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery. The ceremony, attended by hundreds including soldiers with roses, marked the loss of Danyil, who was killed on Aug. 28, 2026 while serving with a military-intelligence unit on the Sumy front in northeastern Ukraine. The couple had both enlisted in 2023 at age 18, married in July 2025, and were expecting their first child, due later this month.

Danyil had previously served in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, survived leg injuries, and was known by the nickname “Surfer.” His father, Oleksandr Smyrnov, expressed grief but found some comfort in the impending birth. Smyrnova said her husband dreamed of being a great father and that their son will be his continuation. The funeral underscored the personal toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.