UWC president pays tribute to Ukrainian woman fatally stabbed in US

Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Paul Grod is mourning the tragic death of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a young Ukrainian woman who sought safety in the United States after Russia’s full-scale invasion but whose life was cut short in a brutal stabbing at the end of August.

Grod extended his deepest condolences to Zarutska’s family and friends, calling the loss “a heartbreaking tragedy that touches not only her loved ones but the entire Ukrainian people.”

Her passing, he said, “is a profound reminder of the human stories behind this war… She was a daughter, a friend, a young woman with dreams for the future. Our community grieves alongside her family.”

Grod said that the attack was the act of an individual struggling with severe mental illness and does not reflect how Ukrainians are viewed by the international community. 

“Wherever we are, governments and societies not only sympathize with Ukrainians but are also glad to have them among their communities. They work, study, participate in local life, and become a positive element of society,” Grod said.

Zarutska moved to the U.S. with her family in search of haven and safety, and a chance to rebuild her life. Instead, she was killed at a Charlotte (North Carolina) train station, leaving behind a grieving family and a shocked community. 

He also said that isolated negative incidents are often linked to Russian propaganda efforts aimed at sowing hostility between Ukrainians and local populations.