A tragic story of survival turned to heartbreak this week after a seven-year-old Ukrainian girl battling blood cancer was killed in an Iranian missile strike on Israel. Nastya Buryk, who had escaped war-torn Ukraine in 2022 to seek medical treatment, died along with her mother, grandmother, and two young cousins when a missile struck their apartment in Bat Yam on June 13.
From Ukraine’s Warzone to Israel’s Conflict Zone
Nastya’s journey began in 2022 when her father, Artem Buryk, joined Ukraine’s elite 95th Airborne Assault Brigade following Russia’s invasion. That same year, Nastya was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare and aggressive blood cancer. Her mother, Maria, posted on social media, “On August 29, 2022, we heard the terrible news: ‘Your daughter has cancer.’”
She recalled living “in a parallel reality” with one goal — to save her daughter.
Despite early chemotherapy in Ukraine, Nastya relapsed, and the country’s limited wartime healthcare options forced the family to seek treatment abroad. Relying on charitable donations and personal savings, they traveled to Israel in December 2022.
A Costly Fight Against Cancer
In Israel, Nastya underwent a bone marrow transplant, which failed. Leukaemia returned, and the family’s funds began to dwindle. Maria continued sharing their story online, while Artem appealed for donations from the front lines. One hospital discharged Nastya due to unpaid bills.
Doctors proposed a risky but necessary treatment to salvage the transplant. As the family clung to hope, Maria’s mother traveled from Odesa to support them, bringing along Nastya’s cousins for their education, away from Ukraine’s daily missile threats.
Killed in Iran’s Retaliatory Strike on Israel
Just as the family regained some stability, a new conflict caught them in the crossfire. On June 13, during Iran’s missile and drone barrage on Israel in retaliation for Operation Rising Lion — Israel’s deadly airstrike on Iranian officials — a missile struck their Bat Yam apartment.
All five members of the Buryk family — Nastya, her mother Maria, grandmother, and two young cousins — died instantly.
Nastya’s story is now a chilling testament to how modern warfare spares no one, not even those fleeing one war only to become victims in another. Her father continues to serve on the Ukrainian front lines, now grieving the loss of his entire family in a conflict far from home.
