Ukrainian Actor Pasha Lee Reportedly Killed in Battle Amid Russian Shelling
Actor Pasha Lee was reportedly among those killed on Sunday in Irpin, Ukraine during Russia's ongoing invasion of the country. Lee was 33. The actor starred in comedies, action movies, and was a television host.
Lee's death was reported by local media outlets. Odesa International Film Festival organizers also posted a message about his death on their Facebook page. "As a result of shelling by Russian occupiers, the famous Ukrainian actor Pasha Lee was killed," the statement read. He joined the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight for his country, according to festival organizers.
Fighting broke out in Irpin on Sunday as Russian forces attempted to take the Ukrainian capital city Kyiv. Russian forces fired mortar shells at a battered bridge that evacuees were using to flee the battlefield, reports the New York Times. There were only about a dozen Ukrainian soldiers near the bridge at the time, and they were helping civilians escape. At least four people, including two children, were killed by a mortar shell during the fighting.
Lee was a popular actor, singer, and composer. His film credits include Shtolnya, Shadows of Unforgotten Ancestors, Zvychayna sprava, Meeting of Classmates, and The Fight Rules. He also did dubbing work for major Hollywood movies, including The Lion King and The Hobbit, reports Deadline.
Lee published his last Instagram post on March 4, showing him wearing a camouflage jacket. "For the last 48 hours there is an opportunity to sit down and take a picture of how we are being bombed, and we are smiling because we will manage and everything will be UKRAINE. WE ARE WORKING!!!" he wrote in the caption in Ukrainian, notes PEOPLE.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. It was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been widely condemned around the world. NATO forces have gathered around Ukraine and there have been severe economic sanctions placed on Russia in recent days.
On Monday, representatives from Ukraine's government had a third round of talks with Russian representatives on the 12th day of the invasion, reports CBS News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there were "small positive shifts" in taking steps to make sure civilians can safely leave the cities. Over 1.5 million Ukrainians have fled to nearby countries already, the United Nations estimates.
"As of today we've passed the terrible mark of 1.5 million refugees and this in 10 days, essentially from Ukraine into five neighboring countries," Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said Sunday, reports CBS News. "If I think of past decades, I cannot think in Europe of a faster exodus of people, not since the end of the Second World War."
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