Chief Petty Officer Dmytro Yuriev, call sign “Tayets,” was killed on March 11, 2022, while carrying out a combat mission in the city of Mariupol. He was 31 years old.
Dmytro was born and lived in Mariupol. He graduated from the local Vocational Metallurgical Lyceum and was a professional Muay Thai boxer. He dreamed of opening his own sports club and coaching children. In 2018, he became the world champion in his weight category. That same year, he joined the Maritime Border Guard Service, planning to become a diver in the future.
“After the start of the full-scale invasion, on March 2, 2022, Dima took me and the children to an apartment belonging to his colleague. Then he returned to duty. The last time we spoke was on March 8 — his birthday — for no more than five minutes, as there was no stable connection in the city. A week later, I left Mariupol with the children. On March 18, I learned that Dima had likely been killed and was listed as missing. I started searching for him — calling hotlines, contacting various agencies. In September, I was told that two bodies had been found in Kyiv, both wearing wedding rings identical to ours. One of them turned out to be Dima…,” said his wife, Tetiana Yurieva.
“In life, he was the perfect brother, husband, and father. At 20, he became the guardian of his 10-year-old sister Sasha after their mother passed away. He motivated our children to do sports and always helped me in everything. He loved surprising me with gifts. In 2019, we got matching tattoos of wings on our hands — a symbol of our love. It was Dima’s idea. We designed it together so that when we held hands, the wings joined. After his death, I added his signature to my tattoo. Now he’s my guardian angel,” Tetiana added.
The cremation ceremony took place in Kyiv on December 6, and Dmytro was buried at the Bilohorodske Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, and younger sister.
🕘 At 9:00 a.m. — a national moment of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Heroes Memorial platform honor the fallen defenders from Donetsk region.