Vladimir Logvinenko, a 60-year-old man who came to Israel as a refugee following the war in Ukraine, drowned on Saturday at an unrecognized beach near Citadel Beach in Ashdod.
Today, his family laid him to rest at the Ashdod cemetery, mourning a second devastating loss in less than three years. Vladimir’s son, Vitali, and his father-in-law, Oleg, were murdered by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 massacre.
Vladimir is survived by his wife, Irina; his daughter, Katya; his daughter-in-law, Lilia; and his grandson, Yaroslav. Relatives said Vladimir had a hearing impairment, which had a profound impact on his son Vitali, who chose to volunteer and assist the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Vitali was born in Ukraine in January 1989. He studied at a police academy and married Lilia in 2017. The couple lived in Kherson, where their son, Yaroslav, was born. Lilia described a close and unique bond between Vitali and his young son. In Kherson, Vitali ran a successful food stand and was known for his kind nature, generosity, and love of cooking and hosting family and friends. He enjoyed spending his free time by the sea and fishing.
The family first arrived in Israel in 2019 but later returned to Ukraine. Vitali eventually returned to Israel on his own, and in 2022, following the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine, his wife and son joined him. The family settled in Ashkelon, near Lilia’s parents.
On the morning of October 7, Vitali and his father-in-law Oleg went fishing in the Gaza border area. During Hamas’ attack, the two attempted to flee but were murdered by terrorists near the Gama Junction.
On Saturday at 4:27 p.m., a report was received by Magen David Adom’s 101 emergency dispatch center in the Lachish region regarding Vladimir’s drowning. MDA motorcycle unit paramedic Orel Asulin and MDA medic Simcha Hasid described the rescue efforts:
“We saw a man in his 50s who was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing, after he had been pulled from the water and beach rescuers were performing CPR. We continued providing medical care and carried out prolonged resuscitation efforts, but unfortunately, we had to pronounce his death."