They wanted to get married on May 6, 2022 and then go to lunch, with all the guests, in a “restaurant with a beautiful terrace”. But Putin’s war on Ukraine, their country, has forced them to change plans. And so, 21-year-old Yaryna Arieva and her new husband Sviatoslav Fursin decided to get married earlier: on February 24, a few hours after Russian tanks invaded the country. And soon after they enlisted volunteers in the Ukrainian army, complete with photos that show them smiling and close as they take up their rifles, ready to fight.
Arieva and Fursin, in fact, both joined the Territorial Defense Forces, a branch of the Ukrainian armed forces composed mainly of volunteers. Once armed, the couple headed to the office of their political party, the European Solidarity. “Right now we’re here and we’re doing everything we can. There is a lot of work to do, but I still hope everything goes well, ”Arieva told CNN.
