A memorial plaque honoring Denys Furtas, a graduate of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs and world champion in kickboxing and French boxing, was unveiled at the Comprehensive Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 6 in the Slobidskyi District of Kharkiv. It was here that he first took his first steps in sports.
Denys’s parents, teammates, coaches, teachers, friends, representatives of the district administration, and residents of Kharkiv came to pay their respects.
Denys Furtas, nicknamed “Fura,” was born on August 3, 2002. Sports became an important part of his life. Denis was a Master of Sports of Ukraine in kickboxing, a world champion in kickboxing and French boxing (“savat”), and a multiple medalist at international competitions.
In 2020, Denys enrolled at Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. During his four years of study at the Educational and Research Institute No. 1, he balanced his professional training with sports, serving as an example of perseverance and determination to his friends and peers.
After the outbreak of full-scale war, Denys voluntarily joined the fight for Ukraine. He continued his service in the Security Service of Ukraine. Shortly before his death, he was promoted to the military rank of senior lieutenant in the SSU.
On September 5, 2025, while carrying out an operational-combat mission in Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Denys was killed. He was only 23 years old.
Now his name will forever remain in the place where his athletic journey began. Every day, children who dream of their first victories will walk past the memorial plaque. For some of them, Denys’s name will simply be a new acquaintance, while for others, it will be an example of a person who persistently pursued his goals, achieved success, and ultimately gave his life for his country.
Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs remembers its graduate. Denys Furtas will forever remain in the memory of those who knew him—as an athlete who brought glory to Ukraine with his victories, a university graduate, and a soldier who fulfilled his duty to the very end.
May the memory of this Hero live on.
