The war claimed an entire family—details on the scientist's tragic death.

This was reported by Igor Zima's friend and colleague Nikolai Makarchuk, a professor at the Department of Physiology and Anatomy at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

According to him, they met during their student years and had a friendship lasting nearly fifty years. Therefore, it is difficult for Nikolai Makarchuk to find the right words:

"He was a very big, warm, and sincere person. Meeting such individuals with whom you can walk through life is incredibly valuable. There are certain competitive dynamics among scientists, just as there are among artists. Igor Grigorievich and I worked in the same field, but we never felt that way. He was very tolerant, viewed others' successes positively, and was very lenient towards shortcomings. An incredibly talented and intelligent person. It's very hard to understand and accept that he is no longer here."

Last year, Igor Grigorievich lost his adopted son Andrey in the war, and in the fall, his laboratory was damaged by debris from downed Russian missiles:

"The war took away the entire family, and for us, scientists, it's very difficult to accept all this. Indeed, windows flew out in Igor Grigorievich's laboratory. However, he had a very philosophical outlook. He perceived this world absolutely rationally. I can't say that he feared death. We talked about this many times, and he didn't have that feeling. This isn't even fate, because his death is a deliberate extermination carried out against us by a terrorist state. If it weren't for the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, there wouldn't be these fates."

The last time Nikolai Makarchuk saw Igor Zima was three to four days before his death.

"Igor Grigorievich came down to the first floor to see me, and we talked about our future research projects. I still can't comprehend that he is gone. In recent years, we often worked online, and I have the impression that he is still somewhere out there, that he will call me or join in again. But, unfortunately, life is structured differently,” the professor concluded.

Let us remind you that the spouses Igor Zima and his wife Olesya Sokur were buried at Baikove Cemetery on January 6, 2026. The scientists died at home due to a Russian drone attack on Kyiv on New Year's Eve, January 1.

According to the rector of Taras Shevchenko National University, Vladimir Bugrov, since 2024, the beginning of the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, more than 220 individuals associated with the university have already lost their lives.