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'Hero of Ukraine': Viacheslav Yalyshev, 14, dies while warning neighbors of Russian shelling

The 14-year-old boy was alerted to the impending attack on the port city of Odesa through an app on his phone

Viacheslav Yalyshev, a 14-year-old Ukrainian boy was killed as he ran to alert elderly neighbors of a Russian strike. He was alerted to the impending attack on the port city of Odesa through an app on his phone. His first instinct was not to save himself but to run around his neighborhood, which is home to many elder people who do not own smartphones, ensuring those who needed help could get to safety.

His father Yevhen Yalyshev, a member of the Ukrainian air force and a veteran of the 2014 conflict in eastern Ukraine, paid tribute to his son on social media for his selfless act. "You are my hero, you are the hero of Ukraine," he wrote. Mr Yalyshev said Viacheslav had been worried that his neighbors would not have the proper apps installed on their phones that warn users of incoming strikes.

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Friends of the family described Viacheslav as a bright and studious boy, who said he was still doing very well at school despite the two-month war with Russia. One of the boy's neighbors told local news: “He was a very good, kind, and sympathetic boy. Very capable, sincere. I just have no words. He studied diligently and often did his homework in his basement when there were bombings.”

People on social media are expressing their condolences to the boy's family and are hailing him as a hero of Ukraine. One user commented "At the cost of his own life, he saved the lives of innocent people because he, himself, did not have time to reach the bomb shelter and came under enemy fire. No, he is not a soldier, but from now on, Vyacheslav Yalyshev is also the Hero of Ukraine. Glory to the heroes." "Not a soldier, but a hero. Brave young boy saved many lives at the cost of his own in Odessa while airstrike. Vyacheslav 14 years old, you are a hero and you will never be forgotten brother. R.I.P. little fella," wrote another person.

Viacheslav is understood to have been killed after being hit by falling debris when two rockets struck a nearby building and church roof. Odesa's mayor Gennady Trukhanov condemned Russia's actions and described the teenager's death as "another blow". He said: “There will never be forgiveness for those who shed the blood of innocent people, especially children."

After failing to take the capital city Kyiv, Moscow has shifted its two-month-old invasion to largely Russian-speaking areas. The pressure is now on Odesa, a celebrated cultural hub and a crucial port city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. A separate Russian airstrike on Odesa last month killed a mother and her infant daughter. The number of civilians killed in Ukraine following Russia's invasion of the country continues to rise and is now well into the thousands.