Oksana Shvets, a critically acclaimed and award-winning Ukrainian actor, was killed in a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv. She was 67. Her death was announced by the Young Theatre, a troupe she joined in 1980, and later confirmed by the Kyiv Post.
“Irreparable grief in the family of Young Theater,” the troupe wrote in Ukrainian on Facebook Thursday. “During the rocket shelling of a residential building in Kyiv, the well-deserved artist of Ukraine Oksana Shvets was killed. Bright memory to the talented actress! There is no forgiveness for the enemy that has come to our land!”
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Shvets was born in 1955 and studied acting at the Ivan Franko Theater and the Kyiv State Institute of Theater Arts reports Variety. She performed productions at the Ternopil Music and Drama Theater and the Kyiv Theater of Satire. Shvets also had starring roles in several Ukrainian films, including Tomorrow Will Be Tomorrow, The Secret of St. Patrick, and The Return of Mukhtar. She also had a role in the TV series Hosue With Lilies.
Shvets received the Merited Artist of Ukraine award for her work in theater. The award is presented by the government to loved and respected artists. It is considered one of Ukraine’s highest civilian honors.
Many other public figures have been killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this week, Fox News journalists Pierre Zakrzewski and Oleksandra Kuvshynova were killed while reporting just outside Kyiv. Earlier this month, actor Pasha Lee was killed in Irpin after Russian forces fired mortar shells at a ridge evacuees were using to escape a battlefield.
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, beginning the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. On Thursday, the United Nations reported that over 3.1 million Ukrainians have fled to other European countries, creating a refugee crisis in the continent. The UN estimates about 4 million Ukrainians will flee the country as Russia’s military actions continue.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed that a U.S. citizen has died in Ukraine, but did not share further details. “We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” a State Department spokesperson said, reports CBS News. “Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.” Also on Thursday, Russian artillery killed 21 people when they destroyed a school in Merefa. A mother, father, and three children were killed when a hostel was struck in Chernihiv.
