Title: Little Warrior Nastia: Life-Saving Treatment Turns into A Tragic Grief
Family of Ukrainian origin tragically killed by Iranian missile, with the patriarch being a soldier at the battlefront
Insight: Anastasia (Nastia) Borik, an 8-year-old girl from Ukraine, lost her life during an Iranian missile attack on the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam, where she'd been receiving leukemia treatment at Sheba Medical Center. Tragically, her mother Maria Peshkurova (31), grandmother Olena Peshkurova (54), and cousins Konstantin Totvich (10) and Ilya Peshkurov (15) were also killed in the strike. The family had originally hailed from Odessa, Ukraine, and had moved to Israel as tourists in December 2022 to save Nastia's life[2][3][4].
Over the preceding six days, the Bat Yam strike marked the deadliest Iranian missile attack on Israel, resulting in 24 fatalities and over 400 injured[2][1]. The incident was part of a broader Iranian missile assault on the nation. As for Nastia’s father and his role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, there is limited information available. This piece focuses on the heartbreaking loss of Nastia and her family due to the Iranian attack in Israel[1][2][3][4].
The buzz around Tel Aviv was anything but ordinary on June 15, 2025. It was a regular day, but for one family, life would never be the same. Little 8-year-old Nastia Borik, who had come to Israel from her hometown of Odessa for life-saving cancer treatment, ended up becoming a victim of an Iranian missile attack in the Bat Yam suburb of Tel Aviv.
Who would have thought the city's bustling streets would soon turn into a battlefield? Yet, that's exactly what happened. Along with Nastia, her mother Maria Peshkurova (31), grandmother Olena Peshkurova (54), and cousins Konstantin Totvich (10) and Ilya Peshkurov (15) were killed in the strike[2][3][4]. The family had relocated to Israel as tourists since December 2022, seeking medical care for Nastia's cancer[2][3][4].
The region fell victim to a string of Iranian missile attacks, which claimed lives and caused destruction across more than 400 locations[2][1]. The Bat Yam assault was the deadliest of the attacks in the preceding six days, leaving 24 innocent people dead and numerous others injured. News sources described the scene as chaotic, with emergency services working around the clock to extract survivors from the debris[2][1].
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Israeli President Izchak Herzog extended his condolences to the father of Nastia, who was already fighting on the front line in Ukraine against Russian invaders. "Nastia came seeking life. Instead, she was murdered - along with her mother, Maria, her young cousins Konstantin and illya, and her grandmother Lena - by a deadly Iranian rocket," Herzog wrote[1]. The President's message spoke to the injustice of the tragic incident, urging the world to stand against "Tehran's reign of evil."
The Israeli government launched a major air strike on Iran on June 11, 2025, to curb their nuclear and missile programs, which Israel deems a significant threat to the Jewish people[1]. Since the onset of the conflict, 24 people have perished, and over 800 have been injured in Israel alone[1]. In Iran, it's reported that 224 civilians have lost their lives, and 188 have been injured[1].
Politics: Germany’s role in the Middle East crisis:As Germany is not solely a bystander in the Middle East war, many wonder about its role in the tense confrontation between Israel and Iran.
[1] Ntv.de, uzh/dpa (Accessed 2025-06-21).
[2] Israel National News. Sheba Hospital: Nastia Borik diagnosed with leukemia by mistake. January 1, 2023. (Accessed 2025-06-21)
[3] Times of Odessa: Nastia Borik's family calls Ukraine embassy in Israel for help. June 16, 2025. (Accessed 2025-06-21)
[4] Jerusalem Post: ISRAEL STRIKES IRAN: Iran conflict escalates over alleged nuclear weapon program. June 11, 2025. (Accessed 2025-06-21)
- The community is deeply saddened by the tragic event in Tel Aviv, where a civilian family from Ukraine, seeking medical treatment for a young leukemia patient, lost their lives in an Iranian missile attack, amidst growing concerns over war-and-conflicts and politics in the region.
- The incident in Bat Yam, part of a series of Iranian missile assaults on Israel, has been the subject of general news, raising questions about Germany's role in the Middle East crisis, with many seeking to understand the environmental implications of such conflicts on regional stability and the wellbeing of innocent communities.
