A Somali father has spoken publicly for the first time after losing his only son, Saciid Abdinoor Aden Farah, who was killed while serving with Ukrainian forces. In an emotional exclusive interview, he recalls the devastating phone call, his son’s final words, and why Ukraine was the only home his son ever knew.
MOGADISHU (Somali Report) — A Somali father living in the United Kingdom has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of his only son, Saciid Abdinoor Aden Farah, who was killed while serving with Ukrainian forces in the ongoing war against Russia.
Saciid Abdinoor, 31, was killed on Thursday, July 9, during fighting in Ukraine, according to his father, who described the loss as the most devastating moment of his life.
“The first message I received simply said, ‘Saciid Abdinoor has been killed,’” he recalled.
The heartbreaking news was delivered by Saciid Abdinoor’s mother, who was in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, at the time.
Speaking in an emotional interview with Somali Coverage TV, the grieving father reflected on his son’s life, his military service, and the difficult final years that eventually led to his death on the battlefield.
Saciid Abdinoor had originally travelled a very different path. He studied veterinary medicine in Ukraine before later becoming involved with the country’s armed forces following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to his father, he initially worked in the medical section of the Ukrainian military before later receiving formal military training and joining frontline operations.
Over the past four years, Saciid Abdinoor became increasingly involved in Ukraine’s war effort, serving in military logistics before later participating in combat operations near some of the conflict’s most dangerous front lines.
His father said his son fully understood the risks involved but remained committed to defending the country he regarded as home.
The tragedy came after Saciid Abdinoor had already survived one serious attack earlier in the war.
During that incident, his military clothing and protective equipment, including his bulletproof vest, were completely destroyed, yet he escaped without suffering serious physical injuries.
“Everything he was was wearing was destroyed, including his protective equipment, but God protected him,” his father said.
The family believed he had narrowly escaped death.
But this time, there was no miracle.
His father said accepting the news required enormous faith.
“God entrusted us with this son, and now He has taken him back,” he said.
As an only child, Saciid Abdinoor occupied a unique place in his father’s life.
The father said he constantly worried about his son’s safety, knowing he was serving in one of the world’s deadliest conflicts.
Every phone call from Ukraine brought relief.
Every period of silence brought anxiety.
“The words, ‘Saciid Abdinoor has been killed,’ were the most painful words I have ever heard,” he said.
He said his son’s mother immediately contacted relatives after receiving confirmation of the death, before informing him in Britain.
Despite the overwhelming grief, the father spoke calmly throughout the interview, repeatedly returning to his belief that life and death ultimately rest in God’s hands.
He also wanted to correct what he described as widespread misinformation circulating on social media after news of his son’s death became public.
Several online posts claimed that Saciid Abdinoor had travelled from Somalia to fight in Ukraine.
His father firmly rejected those claims.
“People should verify information before making accusations,” he said.
“My son never travelled from Somalia to fight. Ukraine was the country where he was born, raised and spent his life. It was the country he called home.”
The father explained that he first arrived in the former Soviet Union in 1994 after receiving a government scholarship.
He initially studied the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan before later moving to Ukraine, where he met the woman who would become his wife.
The couple married later that year, and Saciid Abdinoor was born on 27 May 1995.
Although his parents later separated, the father said they remained in contact throughout their son’s life.
Saciid Abdinoor spent most of his childhood with his Ukrainian mother, while maintaining contact with his Somali father.
The family later lived in several European countries, including Germany, before eventually returning to Ukraine.
The father said Saciid Abdinoor once attempted to continue his education in Germany after relatives encouraged him to remain there.
However, after about a year, he decided to return to Ukraine.
According to his father, he always felt that Ukraine was where he belonged.
The father said Saciid Abdinoor had never visited Somalia, despite being proud of his Somali heritage. Everything he knew about the country came through conversations with his father and stories shared by relatives.
“He knew Somalia through us, but he never had the chance to visit,” he said.
As the war intensified, Saciid Abdinoor chose to remain in Ukraine rather than leave the country. His father said he never pressured his son to abandon his duties, although he constantly worried about his safety.
During their final conversation, Saciid Abdinoor made it clear why he had decided to continue fighting.
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“The last time we spoke, he told me, ‘Father, I am defending this country from its enemies. Either I will die with honour or I will live with honour,’” the father recalled.
Those words would become their final exchange.
The father said his son served alongside Ukrainians and foreign volunteers from different backgrounds, including Muslims who had joined Ukraine’s defence forces. He also encountered volunteers from Arab countries and elsewhere, although his father said he was unaware of any Somali nationals serving alongside him.
“I know he fought with people of different nationalities and religions, but I do not know of any other Somali who died alongside him,” he said.
He described the conflict as deeply complex, noting that many Ukrainians and Russians share historical, cultural and even family ties dating back decades.
“In many ways, this is a tragic war between people who once lived together,” he said.
Still, he believes Ukrainians have shown extraordinary determination to defend their country despite years of fighting.
The father recalled that when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and fighting first erupted in eastern Ukraine, few imagined the conflict would eventually escalate into a full-scale war.
“But everything changed in February 2022,” he said. “The fighting spread across the country, and Ukraine had no choice but to defend itself.”
He described Kyiv and other cities as having endured repeated missile and drone attacks while millions of civilians were forced from their homes.
Despite the destruction, he said Ukrainians remained determined to preserve their independence.
“They believe they are defending their homeland,” he said.
Reflecting on the broader conflict, the father warned that the war has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and risks drawing in even more countries if diplomacy fails.
He expressed concern about the possibility of further escalation between Russia and the West, saying continued fighting benefits no one.
“The solution is peace,” he said. “War destroys nations, families and futures.”
He added that both Ukraine and Russia have suffered immense human and economic losses and argued that negotiations remain the only path toward ending the conflict.
The war in Ukraine began in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion, transforming the conflict into Europe’s largest war since the Second World War.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been killed or wounded on both sides, while tens of thousands of civilians have also died. Millions more have been displaced, making it one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
For the grieving Somali father, however, those global statistics have become deeply personal.
Behind every casualty figure, he said, is a family left mourning.
“My son believed he was defending his country,” he said quietly. “I pray that no other father has to receive the message that I received.”
As he continues to mourn the loss of his only child, he hopes his son’s story will remind others of the devastating human cost of war and the urgent need for peace before more families suffer the same tragedy.
About the Author
Aden Warsame is a Senior Reporter at Somali Report, covering politics, security, diplomacy, business, and regional affairs across Somalia and the Horn of Africa.
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