Ukraine War: Tskhinvali Bids Farewell with Two More Fighters

Two South Ossetian fighters Marat Jioev and Vladimir Kozaev, killed in action during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were laid to rest on June 22 in the occupied region. Per Tskhinvali-based IR TV channel, the two men, both 34-year-olds, were fighting as volunteers.

At Jioev’s funeral, Tskhinvali leader Alan Gagloev claimed that S. Ossetians in Ukraine are “fighting for the freedom and future of our motherland.”

With the funeral day coinciding with the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Gagloev brought parallels to World War II, saying that “as then, our guys are fighting against fascism, sacrificing themselves, they are defending our freedom, showing courage and bravery during a special military operation in Ukraine.”

A separate funeral for Kozaev was attended by newly appointed “prime minister” Konstantin Jussoev, speaker Alan Tadtaev, and acting “defense minister” Vladimir Pukhaev, RES noted. According to the report, Kozaev, a participant of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, fought in Donbas, Ukraine since 2014.

IR TV station added that Kozaev was killed in March, but his remains could not be repatriated until now.

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