October 19: Former Ukraine international Roman Maksymiuk has been confirmed dead almost 20 months after he disappeared while serving with the country’s armed forces in the war against Russia.
Maksymiuk, who won five caps for Ukraine between 1998 and 2002, had been missing since January 30, 2025 while fighting near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. His remains have now been identified through DNA testing, his family confirmed.
The exact date and circumstances of his death have not been established.
Maksymiuk volunteered for military service in the fall of 2022, several months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and served as a gunner in the Sycheslav 25th Separate Airborne Brigade.
His wife, Vira, had continued to wait for news after contact was lost during the fighting around Pokrovsk, one of the most contested sections of the eastern front line.
Announcing the confirmation of his death, she wrote: “Please remember my Roma. He was not only gone. He was a husband, a father, a son, a friend. A loved and longed for person.”
Maksymiuk enjoyed a long playing career in Ukraine, representing Dynamo Kyiv, Dnipro, Volyn Lutsk, Chornomorets Odesa, Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk and CSKA Kyiv. He also spent time with Zenit St Petersburg before returning home.
The midfielder was part of Dinamo that won both the League and the Ukrainian Cup in 1999/2000. Dynamo issued their own tribute after his death was confirmed, offering condolences to his family and remembering his contribution to the club.
He made five senior appearances for Ukraine, spanning four years from 1998.
His disappearance had already been marked by the national team. Before a friendly against Canada in June 2025, Ukraine’s players posed for a team photo wearing Maksymiuk’s Volyn Lutsk T-shirt and military jacket.
At that time, his family was still waiting for him to return.
Former teammate Yuriy Vernydub had also spoken publicly about Maksymiuk during his disappearance, describing him as a brave figure who had chosen to volunteer and serve in one of the most dangerous areas of the war.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)