Following a year of uncertainty and dashed hopes after disappearing near the front lines, former Ukrainian national team footballer Roman Maksimyuk has been officially confirmed dead. DNA testing verified the death of the veteran midfielder, who volunteered for the armed forces in 2022 and served in the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade.
The ordeal came to an end after a harrowing period of waiting for relatives who had clung to the possibility of his return. The miracle did not happen,
wrote his wife, Vira Maksimyuk, in a social media message detailing a year of hope, expectation, prayers, and faith. She launched formal searches, while the couple’s daughter provided DNA samples for forensic examination. Laboratory results finally arrived, replacing months of limbo with confirmation that the former athlete had perished.
Frontline Deployment on the Pokrovsk Axis
Maksimyuk stepped away from civilian life in the autumn of 2022, volunteering to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Before donning a military uniform, he supported defenders by organizing charity football tournaments to purchase vehicles for combat units.
Once enlisted, he served as a gunner within the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade. Accounts from military colleagues note that he fought with fierce courage, earning a military award for his frontline service. Earlier deployments included service in a mobile fire team countering aerial threats around Lutsk before subsequent reassignment to the Kharkiv sector.
Contact fractured on January 30, 2025. Maksimyuk reached out to his wife that day to mention he was heading out to positions along the Pokrovsk front, which marked his final communication before vanishing amid intense hostilities.
Professional Football Career across Ukraine and Europe
Before the war, Maksimyuk built a notable athletic career as a midfielder, competing in top-tier domestic leagues as well as stints abroad in Russia and Kazakhstan. He left a lasting footprint at several major clubs, including Prykarpattia, Chornomorets, and Dynamo Kyiv, where he secured both the Ukrainian Premier League championship and the national Cup in 2000.
He logged more than 100 appearances each for Volyn and Dnipro, cementing his status as a club stalwart. Between 1998 and 2002, he earned five caps representing the senior Ukraine national football team. After hanging up his boots, he settled in Lutsk, working as a loader prior to the full-scale invasion, and later transitioned into coaching roles with Ternopil and other clubs.
Tributes from Former Teammates and the National Team
The broader athletic community previously signaled its solidarity while the player’s status remained unconfirmed. In June 2025, ahead of an international exhibition fixture against Canada, the Ukrainian national squad stepped onto the pitch carrying his military tunic and a Volyn club jersey to honor his family.
Reflecting on their playing days together at Zenit, football manager Yuriy Vernydub recalled his former teammate’s relentless temperament.
Maksimyuk never feared a challenge and always fought to the end. He possessed numerous virtues that allowed him to play in major clubs, and not just play, but act as a leader in every squad.
Yuriy Vernydub, football coach, via Suspilne
Family members have asked the public to preserve the memory of a dedicated father, husband, and son.
Please remember my Roma. He was not just someone missing in action. He was a husband, a dad, a son, a friend. A person who was loved and awaited.
Vira Maksimyuk, via Suspilne