In the Kharkiv region, Mykola Hetmanov was killed in action — a police major, a fighter of the special unit KORD, a rugby player of the club Legion XIII, and a former member of Ukraine’s national rugby league team. He was only 35 years old…
On October 5, 2025, while carrying out a combat mission in the Kupiansk sector, Mykola engaged in a firefight with Russian occupiers. He shielded his comrades, refusing to retreat from the line of fire, and fell a Hero’s death, saving the lives of others. His brothers-in-arms tried to evacuate him to a stabilization point, but the wound he sustained proved fatal.
Mykola was a man who lived in the rhythm of struggle — on the field and in war. His name was well known in the rugby community, both as a reliable player of Kharkiv’s Legion XIII and as a former representative of the national team.
From the very first days of the full-scale invasion, Mykola — a man of honor and of his word — stood to defend Ukraine. In the ranks of KORD, he fought for his homeland with the same dedication with which he once took to the field. “His courage, strength of will, and team spirit will forever remain an example for all who knew him,” stated the Rugby Federation of Ukraine.
Cheerful, kind, and courageous — this is how his friends and comrades remember him. Only two weeks before his death, they had congratulated him on his 35th birthday. Mykola Hetmanov is survived by his wife and four-year-old son. To them, he was a loving husband and father; to Ukraine, he was a strong athlete, a warrior, and a Hero.
His name will forever remain in the history of Ukrainian rugby, in the memory of the sporting and police communities, and in the hearts of all who had the honor of knowing him.
Glory and deepest respect to the Defender of Ukraine. Eternal memory.