Yaroslav 'Loki' Oliynyk, adviser to Minister of Strategic Industries, dies in road accident
Yaroslav (Loki) Oliynyk, an advisor to Ukraine's Minister of Strategic Industries, and his wife Nina died in a car accident overnight on Saturday, announced the Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries, Anna Hvozdyar.
"Today we received tragic news. Our Yaroslav Oliynyk died along with his wife Nina in a car accident <...> Yaroslav was a sincere and cheerful person who dedicated his entire—unfortunately, very short—life to fighting the enemy. This is a great loss for all of us," she wrote.
The farewell ceremony will take place on Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. at St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv, Hvozdyar added.
Former Minister of Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin also reported the death of Loki.
"He joined us last summer directly from the front line. He was responsible for working with drone manufacturers," Kamyshin wrote.
Yaroslav Oliynyk joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2017, becoming part of the Aerorozvidka unit, where he became an operator of reconnaissance drones, mastering this specialty directly during combat operations. On the front, he was known by the call sign Loki.
With the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Yaroslav participated in battles in the Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts, as well as in the Kharkiv counteroffensive, where he helped liberate the city of Kupyansk. Additionally, he collaborated with the charitable foundation Come Back Alive, actively participating in the training of new drone operators.
On November 3, 2023, the police reported that a car accident involving MP Andriy Nikolyaenko occurred in Zhytomyr Oblast. Tentatively, the driver of a Mercedes-Benz GLE, traveling towards the city of Chop in the far left lane, hit an 18-year-old girl—she died on the spot from her injuries. Nikolayenko later confirmed that he was involved in the accident.
On August 21, 2024, businessman Oleksandr Povorozniuk, owner of the agro-firm Pyatykhatska from Kirovohrad Oblast and the football club Inhulets, was involved in a car accident.