Antosiak was serving in Ukraine’s 25th Airborne Brigade.
One of his fellow soldiers told Poland's PAP news agency that Antosiak was part of the brigade’s Rubak unit, which operates strike drone systems.
"He was responsible for equipping heavy drones used to attack enemy forces and deliver ammunition to the front line," the soldier said. "He was deeply committed to what he did."
The funeral service took place at St. Michael’s Cathedral before Antosiak’s coffin, draped in Polish and Ukrainian flags, was taken to Independence Square in central Kyiv.
The national anthems of both countries were played in his honor.
Photo: PAP/Vladyslav Musiienko
His parents, Angelika Kuza and Marcin Antosiak, traveled from England, where they live, to attend the ceremony. They had last seen their son in mid-2023.
“We didn’t know he was planning to come here at the time," they told reporters. “After finishing high school in Cambridge, he intended to join the British army and later attend officer training in London. But instead, he went to Ukraine.”
His father recalled that Antosiak was proud of his decision: "He always spoke about how he was helping people here. In the first letter, he sent us after arriving, he apologized for deceiving us for the first time in his life—but that was his plan. It’s very hard for us, but we are extremely proud of our child."
The ceremony was attended by a Ukrainian military guard of honor, representatives of the Polish consulate, and members of Polish organizations in Ukraine.
His parents were presented with a Certificate of Merit and Courage, signed by Ukraine’s top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Antosiak was killed on January 19 in fierce combat near Pokrovsk. He will be buried in Łowicz, central Poland.
(rt-jh/gs)
Source: Polskie Radio 24, PAP