REPORT: Iryna Zarutska’s Father Barred From Attending Her Funeral Due To Zelensky Draft Policy

The administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is denying the father of Iryna Zarutska permission to attend his daughter’s funeral due to the country’s strict draft policy.

Zarutska, 23, was killed on a Charlotte, North Carolina, bus last month by a mentally ill man who stabbed her neck a single time before fleeing. Thirty-four-year-old DeCarlos Brown, Jr. was quickly captured and charged with her death.

Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia requires all fighting-age males to remain in the country. The policy meant her father was unable to travel to North Carolina, according to a family neighbor who spoke with The NY Post.

“He had to stay back. He didn’t come for the funeral,” they said.

“He’s still there for whatever the war time rules are,” the neighbor added.

The mother of Zarutska confirmed that her daughter wished to be buried in America after escaping her home country’s war.

The young woman’s death has become a flashpoint in a roiling debate over the status of crime in America’s urban centers, one whose fans have been flamed by the Trump administration for months as he took control of Washington, D.C. for 30 days in a bid to restore law and order.

Brown, who is black, also became a symbol of the racial hostilities simmering beneath the surface as commentators expressed outrage that Zarutska, who was white, escaped her war-torn home country only to die violently in the U.S.

“They’re taking it really hard,” the neighbor explained about Zarutska’s mother, sister, and brother, all of whom live in the U.S.

“She was sweet. The whole neighborhood loved her. Everyone loved her here. She did a lot of pet sitting for neighbors. She was a good, sweet person.”

A glowing obituary described Zarutska as a talented artist who dreamt of earning her degree to become a veterinary assistant, the Post reported.

“She shared her creativity generously, gifting family and friends with her artwork. She loved sculpting and designing unique, eclectic clothing that reflected her vibrant spirit,” the obituary read.

“Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met,” it continued. “Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her.”

Recorded conversations between Brown and his sister appeared to confirm why he targeted Zarutska the night of Aug. 22. Footage from inside the bus appears to show Brown muttering about Zarutska’s race, suggesting a motive for the attack, though his family has insisted he suffers from schizophrenia and was not receiving proper treatment. He had been released from jail over a dozen times before stabbing Zarutska.