Ukrainian hockey champion was killed in battles with Russian occupiers near Bakhmut

Oleksandr Khmil, a former hockey player of the Ukrainian youth and student national teams, was killed while performing a combat mission in the Bakhmut area. The former Sokol Kyiv striker was 42 years old.

This was reported by the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation on its official website. It is known that from the first days of the full-scale invasion of the Russian invaders, Oleksandr went to war. At first, he defended the capital in the Kyiv Territorial Defence Unit, and then, as a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he performed combat missions in hot spots.

"I asked to be sent to Kyiv to defend my hometown, which had already been approached by the enemy. A few lessons were enough for me to remember and restore my skills with weapons, and my "physics" is always on par," the former hockey player said in March last year.

The Brovary native played for Sokil, Kryzhynka, Kyiv, Dniprovski Vovky, ATEK Kyiv, Berkut, Kompanion, Podil, Galician Lions and Kyiv Generals during his career.

In 2007, Khmil became the champion of Ukraine with ATEK, and in 2005 he won silver in the national championship with Dniprovski Vovky.

In 1998, Khmil represented Ukraine at the World Youth Championship (6 matches, 2 goals), and in 2000 - at the World Youth Championship (7 matches, 1 goal + 1 assist). Five years later, Oleksandr played for the Ukrainian national student team at the World University Games (6 matches, 2+3).

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, master of sports of Ukraine in rowing slalom Oleh Siryi was killed in a battle with the Russian occupiers in the Donetsk region.

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