site.btaDeaths of Two Ethnic Bulgarians Reported on Frontline in Odesa Region

Bulgarian national Heorhii Dimov, originally from the Bulgarian village of Vynohradivka in Artsyzka, Bolhradskyi, was killed on the frontline, Artsyzka Municipality reported on its website on Friday.

According to municipal information, Heorhii Dimov enlisted in the Ukrainian army in January of this year and was reported missing as of June 26. In early July, it was confirmed that he had been killed in enemy mortar fire.

Another soldier of Bulgarian descent, Mykhailo Tsybin from Izmailskyi district, died on the frontline on June 27. He served as a sniper in an assault unit and suffered fatal injuries during a combat mission as a result of a strike by an enemy drone.

Mykhailo Tsybin originated from the Bulgarian village of Kalanchak in Safianivska Municipality, Izmailskyi Region.

The Bulgarian community in the Odesa region numbers over 150,000 people, making it the third-largest ethnic group in the area, according to Ukraine’s 2001 census. Within the city of Odesa itself, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 ethnic Bulgarians reside. The largest concentrations of Bulgarians are found in the Bolhrad, Izmail, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi districts.