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Ukrainian director of commercials Vitalii Kokoshko killed in Russia's war

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Ukrainian director of commercials Vitalii Kokoshko killed in Russia's war
Vitalii Kokoshko, one of the most decorated Ukrainian commercials director, was killed in Russia's war, his daughter Olha Kokoshko, said on Feb. 25, 2025. (Vitalii Kokoshko / Facebook)

Vitalii Kokoshko, a Ukrainian director of commercials and veteran of the Ukrainian advertising industry, was killed in Russia's war, his daughter Olha Kokoshko wrote on Facebook on Feb. 25.

Kokoshko joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. He served in the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which defended Kyiv during the first days of the all-out war and then relocated to Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

"My dad was a man of great heart and soul, so our hearts and souls are so deeply affected by his loss. Thank you for your support," his daughter wrote.

The soldier's daughter added that he was killed in his brigade's unit, without specifying any other details.

Kokoshko was 58 years old.

As a director and producer, Kokoshko has made over 400 commercials. In 1998, he founded the Kinograf advertising agency. He received 43 Effie Ukraine awards and over 350 awards from creative advertising festivals, including Cannes Lions, Epica, Eurobest, and Golden Drum.

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Kateryna Hodunova

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Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

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