First pictures of 20-year-old student killed fighting in Ukraine days before his birthday
The first pictures have emerged of Arkadii Petrov, a 20-year-old student who was killed while fighting in Ukraine just days before his 21st birthday.
Petrov had fled Ukraine with his family following Russia’s 2022 invasion and later settled in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, where he attended Kirkcudbright Academy.
He enrolled at Edinburgh University in 2022, but later returned to Ukraine to fight against Russian forces.
His family was informed on September 22 that he had been killed during a combat mission on September 18, two days before his birthday.
His mother, Liudmyla Petrova, described him as “sincere, brave and very honest” and said Ukraine was the country he loved more than anything.
Earlier this year, she had shared that her son was injured during a combat mission but had reassured her that he would return home alive.
The exact circumstances surrounding his death have not been publicly disclosed.
