Watch the moment Ukrainian soldiers wed on the frontline of war
A Ukrainian couple, who are civilian soldiers, have formalised their relationship by getting married on the defensive line near Kyiv as war ripped their country apart.
Lesia Ivashchenko and Valerii Filimonov, both members of Ukraine’s territorial defence unit, got married in front of a military chaplain and fellows at a Kyiv checkpoint yesterday.
A video shared by Reuters on its Twitter page shows the couple walking down the aisle while flanked by soldiers armed with grenades and missiles and journalists in bulletproof vests.
https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1500749683030781952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1500749683030781952%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Flifestyle.thecable.ng%2Fvideo-ukrainian-soldiers-wed-on-the-frontline-of-war%2F
It is understood that the reservists have been together for twenty years but had not planned on an official marriage until the war started.
Сьогодні вітав бійців одного з батальйонів тероборони столиці Лесю та Валерія. Вони давно живуть в цивільному шлюбі, а тепер вирішили обвінчатися. Церемонія відбулася поруч з одним із блок-постів.
Життя триває! І життя Києва, киян, нашої держави ми будемо захищати! pic.twitter.com/ys2kNN12Ws
— Віталій Кличко (@Vitaliy_Klychko) March 6, 2022
“We decided to get married because we live in challenging times and you never know what’s going to happen to you tomorrow. That’s why it is better do it sooner than later,” Filimonov said.