Lviv Says Goodbye to Bazylevych Family, Killed by a Russian Strike

Lviv says goodbye to the Bazylevych family, killed by a Russian strike on September 4. Yaroslav, the sole survivor, lost his wife and three daughters. The city, once seen as a safe haven, is grieving deeply.

In Lviv, Ukraine, the community mourns the tragic loss of the Bazylevych family. Evheniia, Yaryna, Daryna, and Emilia Bazylevych were killed by a Russian missile strike on September 4th. Their father, Yaroslav Bazylevych, is the only survivor.

Daryna Bazylevych, 18, had written in her college application letter about her close-knit family. She praised her parents for their endless support and for sharing stories about Ukraine’s history. “They are my strongest support,” she wrote.

On that fateful day, Daryna and her sisters Yaryna, 21, and Emilia, 7, along with their 43-year-old mother Yevhenia, were taking shelter in the staircase of their apartment building when the missile struck. 

Eyewitnesses say the family had gathered in what they believed was a safe place. Yaroslav, who survived, had gone to get water for his family.

The loss of the Bazylevych family has brought deep sadness to Lviv and beyond. Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of Lviv, shared that Yaryna was involved in the “Lviv - Youth Capital of Europe 2025” initiative. Daryna was a scholarship student studying Ukrainian culture at Ukrainian Catholic University, where she had just started her second year.

The university expressed its sorrow, calling the loss “great and irreparable.” They urged everyone to pray for Yaroslav, who is now left alone. Yevhenia and the two older girls were also active in the Ukrainian Scouts movement, where Yevhenia was known as a “creative, intelligent, positive and bright personality.”

A Safe Place No Longer Safe

Lviv, located in western Ukraine near the Polish border, has long been seen as one of the safest cities in the country. Many people displaced from eastern Ukraine live there. The distance from the front lines means that missiles and drones take longer to reach the city, giving the Ukrainian military more time to intercept them.

But this week has been particularly devastating. The Bazylevych family’s deaths were among seven people killed in Lviv on September 4th. The day before, two Russian missiles hit a military training facility in Poltava, killing 53 and injuring more than 270 people.

The grief over the Bazylevych family’s loss is felt deeply across Ukraine, a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict's impact on innocent lives.