A Ukrainian couple who have been together for 22 years have joined the fight against invading Russian forces and decided to finally make their union official. Lesia Ivashchenko hadn’t seen her partner, Valerii Filimonov, since the war started until they tied the knot on the front line on Sunday.
Lesia left her job when the war broke out and she joined territorial defense forces to protect her district on the outskirts of Kyiv. Their wedding took place outside surrounded by their fellow soldiers, who even threw rose petals over the newlyweds. The bride and groom were dressed in their military fatigues, as were their guests, but the bride also wore a veil and carried pale pink roses. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko and his brother, Wladimir, also stopped by to congratulate the newlyweds.
The couple says they were just expecting a “very modest ceremony,” considering everything that’s going on around them, but their fellow fighters treated them to a slightly more elaborate event. "It was a surprise from my brothers in arms and our commanders that they decided to set it up to show that despite everything we believe in future and life is going on,” Lesia says. So why did they choose to get married now, in the middle of a war? “We decided who knows what will happen tomorrow,” the bride says. “We should get married in front of the state, in front of God.”
THX: Sky News