Young Ukrainian Female Boxing Champion Hit, Killed By Train While Using Phone

A young Ukrainian female boxer died after being hit by a train while she was crossing a railroad on Nov. 14.
Amina Bulakh, 18, was walking home from a pharmacy towards her village in Tarasivka outside of Kiev at a designated crossing.

Police reported that Bulakh was wearing headphones and was looking through her smartphone when she crossed the track, making her unable to notice the oncoming train until the last moment.

Witnesses saw her try to avoid the train but she was unable to get away in time, the New York Post reported.

The victim’s coach, Victor Fesechko told the Ukrainian outlet Obozrevatel that he didn’t understand at first when Bulakh’s mother told him what had happened.

“I said, ‘Anya, everything will be fine’,” he said. “And then like a blow to the head: ‘Amin is gone’.”

According to The Sun, Bulakh was a member and a champion of Ukraine’s youth female boxing team and was a bronze medallist at the European youth boxing championship in Bulgaria on September.

Bulakh had approached Fesechko when she was 10 years old and told him that she wanted to be a boxer but was rejected at first until Fesechko finally agreed.

Before her death, Bulakh had been studying in Poland and was planning to go into business.

“I didn’t train girls at the time,” Fesechko said. “It was even strange for me.”

“Tragic circumstances have taken the life of Ukraine youth female team Amina Bulakh,” said the Boxing Federation of Ukraine.