Heroism of Slain Ukraine Jewish Soldier is Classified

By Yehuda Dov – VINnews.com

Dozens of people gathered last week at the Jewish cemetery in Dnipro, Ukraine for the funeral of Shimon Kostiantynovych, a Jewish soldier and native of the city, according to a Ynet report.

Shimon, an only child, was sent to the front line over a year ago and took part in Ukrainian commando operations to repel the Russian invasion.

The Ukrainian military has refused to disclose details about his service or duties.

Furthermore, his photograph is banned from publication, and no photos were allowed at the small funeral, which was attended by senior members of the elite unit he served in.

The Jewish community in Dnipro has proudly begun referring to him as the “Emmanuel Moreno of Ukrainian Jews,” a metaphor likening him to Lt. Col. Emmanuel Moreno, an IDF special forces member who was killed in the Second Lebanon War, with his image and details still classified to this day.

“He was a hero who fought for Ukraine’s freedom,” said Yakov Sinyakov, who is responsible for working with Jewish soldiers in Ukraine on behalf of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU). He supports Jewish fighters at the front with morale, advanced Western equipment, and religious materials.

During the funeral, his unit members shared with the family that in his final battle, Kostiantynovych managed to kill several Russian soldiers and mercenaries from another country before being killed by a direct hit from a Russian drone.

It is estimated that at least 100 Jewish soldiers have died on the battlefield while serving in the Ukrainian army. Kostiantynovych is not the only Jewish soldier to fall in the past month of the war.

Last month, the FJCU reported that Anton Baskonscheny was buried in his hometown of Mykolaiv after being severely wounded by two missiles that exploded near him.

“In addition to the many Jewish casualties, there are still soldiers missing who have yet to be brought to a Jewish burial. In our synagogue in Dnipro, led by Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky, we study and pray for their souls, confident they are crying out above for the people of Israel,” members of the Jewish community in the city said.