Sports journalist turned soldier Volodymyr Kotsur killed in action

Volodymyr Kotsur, sports journalist turned soldier, has been killed in action aged 53, report the Ukrainian Sports Press Association and the news outlet Sports Express.

Volodymyr’s death was reported on April 29. Volodymyr enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces following Russia's full-scale invasion.

Volodymyr was born in Rivne oblast. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he covered sports events in Rivne, later moving to Kyiv, where he worked for ten years in the media outlet Sports Express Ukraine. He was also a contributor to the news outlets Ukrainskyi Futbol and Komanda.

Volodymyr Kotsur. Photo by Mykola Pikul on Facebook

The media outlet Sport.ua shared an anecdote from the journalist's life. On October 9, 2004, after a Ukraine–Greece football match, Volodymyr Kotsur tried to get an autograph and take a picture with player Kostas Katsouranis.

“Everyone in the Venetian patio of the Olimpiyskiy NSC wanted to see the Greeks, who were the current champions of the continent. Kotsur had his own goal. When Katsouranis was leaving the locker room, Volodymyr 'dug his heels in' and blocked his way, saying, 'I am Kotsur, you are Katsouranis.' Kostas had no choice, even if he had doubts, but to agree to the photo and autograph,” the media outlet wrote.

On July 5, Volodymyr would have turned 54.

According to the Institute of Mass Information, Volodymyr Kotsur is the 103rd media professional to die as a result of Russia's full-scale aggression.