May 07, (THEWILL) – The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOCU) has stated that the 12-year-old daughter of a Ukrainian water polo player, who was slain in the war-torn city of Mariupol will receive financial assistance.
Kira Obedinskaya, who became an orphan after her father died, will receive UAH 25,000 (about $846) in the NOCU’s first tranche of aid. She will also receive UAH 5,000 ($165) each month till the end of the year.
THEWILL recalls that Kira’s father, Eugine Obedinskiy, a former captain of Ukraine’s national water polo team, was purportedly shot and murdered by a Russian sniper in March.
Kira attempted to flee Mariupol, which has been been bombarded by Russian forces, on foot, but was injured by a mine explosion, according to the NOCU.
Kira was subsequently transferred to Donetsk, which is under Russian occupation, where she was able to contact her grandfather, Alexsandr Obedinsky, who had been unaware of her whereabouts since Eugine’s death.
The older Obedinsky was glad to have found her: “She was in a hospital bed, she had shrapnel wounds around her ear and face and her legs, but she seemed OK. I was so relieved.
“But she told me she’s in Donetsk, and it seems like she’s on her own. She told me they’re taking her to a Russian city.”
Kira has since been reunited with her grandfather, thanks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s efforts, ending a two-month odyssey, according to the NOCU.
Alexsandr, who received money from the NOCU to help his granddaughter, has taken on the role of guardian for Kira, who lost her mother when she was a newborn.
“We’ll stay in Chernivtsi [a city in south-western Ukraine] for now, and I don’t know what [the] future holds for us. We’ll see how life turns out.”
Last month, Zelenskyy claimed that “tens of thousands” of civilians had been slain in Mariupol since Russian forces attacked the city. According to the UN Human Rights Office, the number of civilian deaths in Ukraine increased to 3,280 yesterday, although the true total is likely to be much higher.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, 12.7 million people have been displaced. From to the estimate, five million Ukrainians have left the country, while 7.7 million have been displaced.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
