Ņikita Sļadzevskis, a Latvian volunteer who helped defend Ukraine against Russian aggression, was buried with military honors in Latvian soil on August 5th, reports Latvian Television.
Ņikita was 27 years old. In Kharkiv, where his comrades-in-arms first said goodbye to him, he was remembered as a cheerful, socially active guy. After a harsh childhood, growing up in an orphanage, he moved to Ukraine eight years ago. He himself said that he was going to war not only to save Ukraine from Russian aggression, but also to save his loved ones.
The Latvian flag that covered his coffin in Ukraine was handed over to his sister, Jūlija.
“Thank you for being here… for him defending us and others, so that there will be peace,” said the fallen soldier’s sister, Julia Sļadzevska.
“Not every person is ready to go to what he did. He was very good, very smiling. He was sporty, loving, and we will try to continue, we promised him that we would do sports,” added his niece, Angelīna Valaine.
As previously reported, Nikita – known to his comrades simply as ‘Latvian’ – fell on May 13th in battles in the Luhansk region.
“I would like to say one thing and the most important thing – that society needs to see that there are such heroes among us. That we truly – not only with political statements, but as people, patriots – defend the freedom and independence of both Ukraine and ourselves with our lives,” said Raimonds Graube, former commander of the National Armed Forces (NBS), head of the “Namejs” foundation, one of many paying tribute.
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