Heavy grief struck the Jewish community in Dnipro, Ukraine, after Leonid Krasnov, a young Jewish man who resided in the city, was killed on the front lines in the war against the Russians in eastern Ukraine.
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Krasnov who was 30 years old was an only child, and his mother Elena is the principal of the Jewish school in Dnipro, considered the largest Jewish school in Eastern Europe, with thousands of alumni who have integrated into the Ukrainian economy and politics.
Krasnov had dreams of immigrating to Israel. Although he was associated with intelligence services, he was also trained in various weapons and even received a medal for his bravery on the battlefield from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Jewish community in Dnipro is considered the largest in Ukraine, with over 30,000 Jews, under the leadership of the city's chief rabbi and Chabad emissary, Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky.
A statement from the school read, "We express our condolences to Elena Krasnova, the school principal, whose son fell defending the homeland. The community is assisting in bringing his body for burial."
Last week, during a conference of small Jewish communities in Ukraine organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU), participants reported that hundreds of Jews from across the country who had enlisted in the Ukrainian army were affected by the battles. Some were killed, while others were injured or suffered from trauma on the battlefield.
Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the FJCU, said, "Our hearts are torn witnessing yet another person falling in the war for justice and righteousness. We are confident and believe that soon we will merit the resurrection of the dead, with Leonid among them, with the arrival of the Messiah."