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Polish man killed in Ukraine war: report

03.11.2022 13:30
A Ukrainian citizen of Polish descent has lost his life in combat against invading Russian forces in Ukraine, officials have confirmed.
Marian Matusz, a Ukrainian citizen of Polish descent, has lost his life in combat against invading Russian troops in Ukraine, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Marian Matusz, a Ukrainian citizen of Polish descent, has lost his life in combat against invading Russian troops in Ukraine, officials confirmed on Wednesday.Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Marian Matusz’s body was returned to his family on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported. 

A man in his late 20s, Matusz was a resident of the town of Mostyska, in Ukraine’s western Lviv region, where his daughter attends the Polish school, officials told reporters. 

‘Our defender has returned home for eternal rest’

Mostyska Town Council said in a statement that Matusz "lost his life during a combat mission." 

His coffin was on Wednesday carried in a procession through the streets of Mostyska, accompanied by loved ones and volunteers, the PAP news agency reported.

Town authorities had earlier appealed to the people of Mostyska to create “a corridor of gratitude” and give the fallen soldier "a fitting welcome." 

Officials posted photos from the ceremony on Facebook, writing: “Marian Matusz’s last journey home. Our defender has returned to home soil for eternal rest.”

Matusz’s funeral was scheduled for Thursday.

Teresa Teterycz, the head teacher of Mostyska’s Polish school, told PAP that Matusz’s daughter was "a year one pupil" at the establishment.

She added, as cited by the PAP news agency: “We knew that recently he went missing in action and today they brought back his body." 

Matusz’s death was first reported by the onet.pl website.

In July, the mixed martial arts organisation MMA Polska announced that Tomasz Walentek, an amateur MMA fighter from Poland, had been killed in action in Ukraine, after volunteering for the international legion for the defence of Ukraine, the PAP news agency reported. 

Thursday is day 253 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

pm/gs

Source: PAP, onet.pl, wnp.pl