Relatives of Danylo Liashkevych, aka ‘Berserk’, Ukrainian serviceman of the 3rd Assault Brigade, cry during the funeral ceremony at the crematorium in Kiev, Ukraine, November 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A crowd of mourners lit torches and sang a military song to honor a Ukrainian doctor and soldier who fell in love on the front line and died together in a Russian shell attack.

Valentyna Nahorna, whose call sign was Valkyrie, volunteered as a doctor at the start of the war in Ukraine.

She and Daniil Liashkevych, known as Berserk, fell in love only a few months ago, their friends and comrades say, but that helped them endure the war. Both served in the 3rd Assault Brigade and were killed on 4 November.

Their funerals were held on Friday at the Kiev crematorium, a cavernous and bleak modern building often used for burials of the war dead.

Those gathered sang the song that Ukrainian soldiers learn by heart when they first start training: “Burn with fire, life-giving, weakness in my heart. Let me know neither fear nor doubt.”

Kostyl, who, like many Ukrainian soldiers, agreed to be identified only by his call sign, said meeting Valkyrie helped Berserk out of a dark period in his life.

“He finally had a soul mate who wanted to fight with him and be as close to the war as possible, but this was their last time together and no one is safe from that.” Kostyl said.

Dvyetshnik, a 3rd Brigade soldier who knew the medic better than her fellow soldier, described her as fearless and willing to learn anything.

“If Valkyrie was very honest in her emotions and thus added beautiful chaos, Berserk was a true warrior.” he said. “They were a perfect complement to each other.”