Dancer and choreographer Volodymyr Rakov was killed in action at age 30 while on the frontline in Ukraine.
Rakov won season six of Ukraine’s So You Think You Can Dance in 2013 and stayed on as a choreographer for the next two years.
He was carrying out a mission on the frontline on January 6, serving with the 2nd Battalion of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
The news was confirmed by his friend Halyna Pekha and has been reported by multiple local outlets such as Kyiv Independent and United24media.
Rakov, from Yevpatoria in Crimea, signed up for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022 after the war with Russia escalated.
As well as his work with So You Think You Can Dance, Rakov is best known for his performance in Foals’ music video for track 2am.
He worked as an assistant choreographer on Ukraine’s Dancing with the Stars as well as performing in the film Let’s Dance!.
As part of the Wonder Crew, the dancer claimed victory in 2018 at the World of Dance competition in Berlin.
In a tribute on Instagram, TV presenter Olga Freimut called him a ‘legend’ and a ‘hero’ as she discussed their friendship.
Olga added: ‘You gave your life for the will of Ukraine. Thank you.’
January marks almost three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, with estimates that over 51,000 guided aerial bombs have been launched by Russia since then.
In December, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed with over 370,000 injuries reported.
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