conflictTuesday, May 19, 2026event May 142 sources
Russian Missile Strike Kills Two Young Sisters in Kyiv
On May 14, 2026, a Russian missile strike killed 17-year-old Vira Yakovleva and 12-year-old Lyubava Yakovleva in Kyiv, Ukraine. Their father had been killed in a previous conflict in 2023. Friends, classmates, and teachers gathered in Kyiv to mourn their deaths.
The missile strike, which occurred on May 14, 2026, resulted in the deaths of Vira and Lyubava Yakovleva in Kyiv. The sisters were among the casualties of a broader Russian military operation targeting Ukrainian infrastructure. The attack marked another tragic loss in the ongoing conflict, with the sisters' father having died in a previous war-related incident in 2023.
Both The Washington Post and RFE/RL reported the event, with the latter noting that the sisters' father had already been killed in the war in 2023. The Washington Post published its report on May 19, 2026, while RFE/RL also released its coverage on the same date. There are no significant divergences in the accounts provided by the two sources.
Sources
IndependentWashington PostMay 19, 06:09 PM
Kyiv holds a funeral for 2 young sisters killed by a Russian missile strike - The Washington PostKyiv holds a funeral for 2 young sisters killed by a Russian missile strike The Washington Post
PublicRadio Free EuropeMay 19, 06:04 PM
'We Were Supposed To Be Celebrating A Birthday': Kyiv Mourns Sisters Killed In Russian Strike
Friends, classmates, and teachers gathered in Kyiv to say goodbye to sisters Vira and Lyubava Yakovleva, killed in a Russian strike on May 14. Vira was 17. Lyubava was 12. Their father had already been killed in the war in 2023.