Senior soldier Dan Zvonik died on April 25, 2022, in Mariupol. The soldier was killed in captivity. The defender was 25 years old.
Dan Zvonik was born in Donetsk. From the age of three, he practiced Kyokushin karate. The boy was trained by his father, Ruslan Zvonik.
"His name is directly related to this sport. My husband practiced karate. So when our younger son was born, Ruslan said, 'Let's name him Dan. Later, our son achieved considerable success — he became a multiple winner at competitions of various levels. In 2013, he became the Ukrainian champion in Kyokushin karate. He also took first place at the World Cup in HonKyokushin karate and became the European Cup champion (IKO Sosai)," said his mother, Anna.
After the occupation of Donetsk in 2014, the Zvonik family moved to Kyiv. Soon, Dan's father joined the Azov battalion, and in 2015, his son joined as well, becoming a communications officer. They served in Mariupol, so Dan's mother and sister moved there.
In December 2021, the young man defended his diploma as a computer science teacher at Berdiansk State Pedagogical University, where he studied part-time.
In January 2022, Dan and his father resigned from the service. But with the start of a full-scale war, they once again stood up to defend their homeland, joining the local territorial defense.
And then Dan was taken prisoner. On April 20, a video with the prisoners was published on enemy resources, promising “the preservation of life and compliance with international laws on the treatment of prisoners.” On May 1, 2022, Russian invaders handed over the body of a grandmother living in Donetsk. The defender of Mariupol had been shot in the back of the head.
"Dan was cheerful, full of life, and had many plans for the future. He dreamed of opening his own business—a café. He also planned to get married: his wedding with his fiancée was scheduled for April 30. In the summer of that year, his daughter was born, and she was named after her father—Dana. The girl looks very much like her father, whom she only sees in photographs," said Anna.
The defender was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, III degree.
Dana Zvonik's body was transferred to his grandmother in Donetsk, where he is buried.
The hero is survived by his beloved wife, daughter, parents, and many relatives and friends.
At 9:00 a.m., there will be a nationwide minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional State Administration and the Heroes Memorial platform will commemorate the fallen defenders from Donetsk Oblast.