Odesa aviator and combat pilot Colonel Kostyantyn 'Kamikaze' Oborin gave his life for Ukraine during a combat mission, officials and his loved ones announced on July 19, 2025
News of Colonel Oborin’s death was shared by Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov and head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration Oleh Kiper.
"A very sad news for Odesa. Kostyantyn Oborin died during a combat mission — a veteran of the Afghan war, a participant in the current struggle for Ukraine’s independence, director of the Odesa Aeroclub, volunteer, mentor, a man of great soul and courage," Trukhanov said.
Hit on a Shahed drone. Photo from Colonel Oborin’s cockpit
Oleh Kiper called Oborin "a true patriot of Ukraine, an Afghan war veteran, a participant in the modern fight for independence, head of the Afghan Veterans Union," and "commander of the squadron defending the skies over Odessa region and shooting down Russian Shahed drones."
What relatives and volunteers say
Polina Oborina, daughter of the fallen soldier and Odesa photographer and videographer, said her father died on Friday, July 18.
"Yes, it’s true. Unfortunately, our dad, grandfather, beloved husband, legendary warrior, living legend… is no longer with us. It happened yesterday during a mission. And yes, unfortunately, our superhero is not immortal," Polina said on Saturday, July 19.
"As much as I want to wake up today and think this is a terrible dream," she added.
Odesa volunteer Kateryna Nozhevnikova said that after turning 60 (Oborin died at 63), the colonel regularly traveled to Kyiv to renew his service permit. "Every year he went to Kyiv to get permission to continue defending the country while hundreds of thousands of young men are hiding at home," she noted.
Kostyantyn Oborin’s life and combat path
Kostyantyn Oborin was a pioneer of modern amateur aviation in Odesa.
He founded and developed the popular Odesa Aeroclub and was a parachute jump record holder.
"Kostyantyn went through the Afghan hell but did not become bitter — on the contrary, he dedicated himself to serving and supporting others. He became a symbol of rehabilitation and hope for veterans, giving new meaning through parachute sports, flying, and sincere human attention. His life philosophy — 'air heals' — became wings for many," Trukhanov wrote about Colonel Oborin.
In 2014, risking his own life, Kostyantyn rescued 29 Ukrainian soldiers from captivity. And in 2022, rising into the skies over Odesa, he fulfilled the last will of his student — Hero of Ukraine Vladyslav Buvalkin — scattering his ashes over his hometown.
