Ukraine's astronaut Kadeniuk dies in Kiev

KIEV, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Leonid Kadeniuk, the first astronaut of independent Ukraine, died at the age of 67 in Kiev, local media reported Wednesday.

According to the information provided by relatives, Leonid Kostyantynovych had a heart attack during his traditional jog in the park, according to Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko offered his condolences to the family of Kadeniuk, saying the astronaut was "one of the renowned Ukrainians, who paved the way to the stars for mankind."

Kadeniuk made his flight on American NASA's space shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a member of the international space mission STS-87. Enditem