21-Year-Old Professional Counter-Strike Player Loses His Life In Russia-Ukraine War

A 21-year-old professional "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)" player, Ostap "0ni" Onistrat, lost his life during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Onistrat was killed on June 3 while defending his home country of Ukraine, on the front line in Vuhledar, situated in the Donetsk region, according to Kotaku.

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When the 21-year-old joined the Ukrainian army to defend his country, his father Andriy, a well-known Ukrainian banker, had no second thoughts. "He had to be there on the battlefield with his son. He wanted to protect him, to shield his heroic boy from the brutalities of the war... Two days ago, Ostap's life was cut short by enemy shrapnel," Ukraine's Ministry of Defense tweeted.

"Another Ukrainian father has lost his son. Ukraine has lost her son. The loss is irreparable. Victory is inevitable. We all owe it to Ostap," the ministry added.

Onistrat's final documented tournament was the Zuel Championship 2021, where he competed with the Ukrainian esports team Libertatem. The team finished second in the competition.

According to a recent assessment by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, as reported by Reuters, Russia has suffered 189,500-223,000 total casualties, including 35,500-43,000 killed in action and 154,000-180,000 wounded. Meanwhile, Ukraine has endured 124,500-131,000 total casualties, with 15,500-17,500 killed in action and 109,000-113,500 wounded.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 8,983 civilian deaths during Russia's invasion of Ukraine between the start of the war on February 24, 2022, and June 4, 2023.

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