The Hobbit And Lion King Actor Who Quit To Defend His Country Killed In Battle

Pasha Lee, a Ukrainian actor best known for his voice work in dubbed versions of The Lion King and The Hobbit, has died in a Russian shelling attack. He was 33.

Lee had enlisted in his country's Territorial Defence Forces last week to help defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion. He's reported to have been killed after Russian troops shelled the city of Irpin, west of Kyiv, on Sunday, March 6.

His death was announced by the Odessa International Film Festival and later confirmed by local news channel TSN.

A well-known film actor, Lee starred in a number of Ukrainian comedies including Meeting Of Classmates (2019), Selfie Party (2016) and Zvychayna Sprava (2012) while also reaching wide audiences with his work as a voiceover actor, having dubbed the Ukrainian versions of Hollywood blockbusters including The Lion King and The Hobbit.

More recently, he had been working as a television presenter for DOM, a bilingual channel established by the Ukrainian Culture Ministry in 2020 that broadcast in the occupied Donbas region. His final role came in the 2021 TV drama series Provincial.

In one of his final posts on Instagram, Lee had shared his determination to withstand the Russian attack, writing: 'For the last 48 hours there is an opportunity to sit down and take a picture of how we are being bombed, and we are smiling, because we will manage and everything will be UKRAINE… WE ARE WORKING!!!'

The precise circumstances of his death have not been confirmed, however he is believed to have been on the front lines in Irpin yesterday when the city came under heavy bombardment from Russian troops fighting to take control of the key battleground.

Journalists at the scene of the shelling reported that Russian forces opened fire on a route being used to evacuate residents towards Kyiv, with the New York Times publishing graphic images showing a family of four that had been killed in the attack, with their suitcases and bags still alongside them.

In a statement shared to Facebook, the Odessa International Film Festival's organisers urged the international community to take further action to support Ukraine, writing: 'We call on the world community to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia and stop the war. We urge you to close the sky over Ukraine immediately and continue to boycott Russian cinema.'

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