Ukrainian track cyclist Andrii Kutsenko killed in military combat mission

Multi-time Ukrainian national track champion Andrii Kutsenko (also spelled Andriy Kutsenko) was killed in a military combat mission on July 3, 2024, the Lviv Regional Military Administration reports. 

Kutsenko was a multi-time national champion who joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022 to fight against the Russian invasion. He was 34.

In the funeral announcement, Kutsenko was honoured as a hero and a defender of his nation. Kutsenko was part of the Ukrainian national track team for ten years between 2006 and 2016 and represented his country at various European and World Championships. 

Kutsenko held two national track records. He set a record in the 1k time trial with a time of 1:02.935 in October 2017 at the European Championships in Berlin, Germany. Additionally, at the same event, he, along with two teammates, set a national record in the team sprint with a time of 44.487.

Kutsenko lived in Italy with his family, but returned to his home nation at the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion. He volunteered to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces and served with the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade for two years. He was killed during a combat mission with his brigade on July 3, 2024.