Sumi, Ukraine, August 23 — The ongoing war in Ukraine has claimed the life of another Azerbaijani-born citizen of Ukraine.
According to Modern.az, Afghan Orudjev, who lived in Hostomel near Kyiv, was killed on August 19 during fighting in Ukraine’s Sumy region. He was a Ukrainian citizen and served in a territorial defense battalion, where he was engaged in operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Orudjev’s death underscores the heavy toll the war continues to exact not only on Ukrainians, but also on communities with roots abroad. Azerbaijanis make up one of the largest diaspora groups in Ukraine, with tens of thousands living and working across the country, particularly in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and other major cities. Many hold Ukrainian citizenship, and some have joined territorial defense units or regular armed forces since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022.
The loss of Orudjev adds to a growing number of diaspora-linked casualties, a reminder of the deep entanglement between Ukraine’s diverse communities and the war effort. For Baku, such cases resonate strongly: they highlight both the human cost of the war and the longstanding ties between Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
