In several acts of defiance, Ukrainian couples have decided to tie the knot, despite the incredibly stressful Russian invasion in their country.
Lesia Fylymonova and Valerii Filimonov recently walked down the aisle near a checkpoint in Kyiv. She wore camouflage to the wedding, while he was carrying a rifle for the ceremony.
鈥淥f course I'm happy,鈥� said Fylymonova, translated from Ukrainian. 鈥淚'm happy that we are alive, that this day started, that my husband is alive, and he is with me.鈥�
Both Fylymonova and Filimonov are members of the Ukrainian defence force and decided to get married after 20 years and a child together.
鈥淲e live in challenging times,鈥� Filimonov said. 鈥淵ou never know what鈥檚 going to happen to you tomorrow.鈥�
Among those in attendance for the wedding was Kyiv鈥檚 Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
鈥淓very Ukrainian has just one goal: to stop the war,鈥� he said.
Fylymonova and Filimonov aren鈥檛 the only couples to continue with their wedding plans despite the invasion.
Yaryna Arieva, a resident of Kyiv, and her partner got married on the day of Russia鈥檚 invasion. They spent their wedding night together, then joined the Ukrainian defence force the next morning.
鈥淲e wanted to get married on the sixth of May, but the war has started and we changed our decision and our plans,鈥� she told 麻豆影视 Channel.
鈥淲e wanted to be together, to help each other, to care about each other and to cover each other鈥檚 back.鈥�
Arieva hadn鈥檛 held a gun before joining the fight, while her husband had some experience with firearms, though no military training.
Meanwhile, in Lviv, about 540 kilometres west of Kyiv, Bohdan and Iryna Manko went ahead with their wedding as well.
鈥淒ifficult times, but we are optimistic,鈥� Bohdan said. 鈥淲e are fighting strong and we will win.鈥�
鈥淲e didn't cancel our wedding because we hope for the better future to rebuild our country.鈥�
