site.btaA Bulgarian from Vilshanka Killed on Ukraine Front

A Bulgarian, Serhiy Dragan, from Vilshanka, Kirovohrad region, was killed on the front in Ukraine. He was buried on Thursday, BTA learnt from Tatyana Vladova, deputy chair of the Bulgarian Association in Vilshanka.

According to the municipal administration, Serhiy Dragan was born in the village of Dobryanka in 1992.

Since the beginning of the war in 2022, he voluntarily went to the front and served in the 61st Mechanized Brigade. He participated in the defence of Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions, and in the battles for Soledar in Donetsk region. Since February 25, 2024, Serhiy had been reported missing while performing a combat mission in the area of Orlovka, Pokrovsk district, Donetsk region. His death was officially confirmed through DNA identification, the municipality said.

Condolences were expressed to the family and relatives on behalf of the residents of Olshanka, the municipal council, and the local MPs.

The first settlers from Bulgaria in the territory of present-day Ukraine settled in Vilshanka, Kirovohrad region. These were 400 families from Alfatar, Silistra region. The settlement dates back to 1774. According to the last census in Ukraine in 2001, 2,305 people live in Kirovohrad region, though unofficial data suggest the number is higher. The Bulgarians mainly live in compact communities in Vilshanka, Dobroe, and Stankuvata.