Newlywed Ukrainian couple, groom Svyatoslav Peoshin (24) and bride Yarina Arieva (21), took up arms to defend Ukraine just one day after their wedding. [Photo by CNN]
[Asia Economy Reporter Sumi Hwang] A newlywed Ukrainian couple took up arms to defend their homeland just one day after their wedding. They moved up their wedding, originally scheduled for June, and enlisted together immediately after the ceremony to participate in the war.
According to CNN on the 25th (local time), Yaryna Arieva (21), a Kyiv City Council member, enlisted in the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces right after marrying her groom, Svyatoslav Pershin (24). The Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces are composed of volunteers.
The couple had initially planned to hold their wedding in June. However, after Russia invaded Ukraine on the 23rd, they hurriedly moved up the wedding date. They could not predict what would happen to Ukraine and their future.
At the wedding held at St. Michael's Monastery in Kyiv, bride Arieva said, "I was really scared, but I will go fight to protect my homeland," adding, "We might die, but I just wanted to be together."
She further stated, "We are here now, and we will do everything we can."
Meanwhile, heartbreaking stories of Ukrainian citizens who died fighting against the Russian invasion are being reported by foreign media.
On the 25th (local time), Ukrainian soldiers are preparing for combat in the city of Kyiv, the capital, in anticipation of the Russian army's advance. [Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 24th, guards defending a Ukrainian island all died resisting a Russian warship.
According to the UK Guardian, a Russian warship approached Zmiinyi Island in Ukraine and demanded the 13 Ukrainian guards defending the island to surrender. The Russian warship warned via communication, "Lay down your weapons to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary casualties. Otherwise, you will be bombed."
However, the Ukrainian forces responded after a brief silence, saying, "Russian warship, go away." It is reported that all of them died following bombardment by the Russian warship.
A story was also shared about a young soldier who sacrificed his life to stop the advance of Russian tanks.
On the 25th, according to the Ukrainian military, Marine engineer Vitalii Shakun Volodymyrovych died during a mission to blow up the Henichesk Bridge in southern Ukraine's Kherson region.
The Henichesk Bridge is a strategic point connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Ukraine's central inland, and it must be defended to stop the Russian army's advance. The Ukrainian military planned to destroy this bridge to block the Russian forces' entry.
Volodymyrovych volunteered to place mines on the bridge himself. While installing the mines, he realized there was not enough time to evacuate to a safe place. After completing the mission, he contacted his unit to say he would self-destruct and then died.
His heroic sacrifice significantly delayed the Russian army's advance and bought time for his unit to rebuild the defensive line. Foreign media such as CNN reported that with the bridge destroyed, the Russian forces had to take a longer route to advance into Ukrainian territory, giving the Ukrainian military time to reorganize their defenses.
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