Who was Oksana Shvets? Ukrainian Actress Killed in Russian Rocket Attack

Award-winning Ukrainian actress Oksana Shvets has been killed in a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv.

Ukrainian stage company Young Theater confirmed the news on its Facebook page. A translation of the message it posted reads: "Unrepairable grief in the family of Young Theater. During the rocket shelling of a residential building in Kyiv a well-deserved artist of Ukraine Oksana Shvets was killed. Bright memory to the talented actress! There is no forgiveness for the enemy that has come to our land!"

The company also shared a photo of Shvets, alongside an image of a candle with the words "eternal memory" in Ukrainian. Tributes have been flooding in for the actress on social media.

Who Was Oksana Shvets?

Shvets was reportedly 67 at the time of her death and had been a theater performer in Ukraine for decades.

The Young Theater's description of her as a "well-deserved artist" refers to her having been awarded the title Merited Artist of Ukraine. This honor is given for outstanding achievement in the performing arts.

On the theater company's website, Shvets is listed as having dozens of stage credits over five decades. She studied at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater in Kyiv, graduating in 1975. Her most recent credit, according to the website, was in the 2016 production Get Missed!.

Oksana Shvets' Movies

Shvets was predominantly a stage actress and has minimal screen credits listed online. According to IMDb, her first screen role was in the 1976 TV mini-series Nasledniki, which translates in English to Heirs. Her most recent was in the 2013 drama series Dom s liliyami, or House with Lilies.

Reaction to Oksana Shvets' Death

Shvets is believed to be the second Ukrainian performer killed since Russia's invasion began on February 24. Pavlo Li, a 33-year-old actor who provided the Ukrainian voice for characters in South Park, The Lion King and The Hobbit, was killed on March 6 after signing up for Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces.

Thousands of social media users have posted messages about Shvets since the news of her death broke—with many replying to a tweet from the Kyiv Post newspaper.

Twitter user @PatHickman3373 wrote: "Such a beautiful, talented life taken away by Evil. So much sorrow in your country. We grieve every loss with you." Another user, @jabakchourian, posted: "She was good teacher, god bless her and family."

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 780 civilians have been confirmed killed in Ukraine, as of March 16. Of these, 58 were children. The OHCHR also reports that 1,252 civilians have been injured.

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