For Kyiv couple of Lesia Ivashchenko and Valerii Filimonov, who have been together for 20 years and raised an 18-year-old daughter, an official marriage was never of any significance.
But when the war knocked on their door, the two said they reconsidered their attitude towards marriage and decided to tie the knot.
"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," groom Valerii said.
Donning military uniforms instead of a wedding dress and tuxedo, bride Lesia and Valerii, both members of Ukraine's territorial defence unit, exchanged their rings in front of fellow fighters and a military chaplain.
Donning military uniforms instead of a wedding dress and tuxedo, bride Lesia Ivashchenko and groom Valerii Filimonov, exchanged their rings in front of fellow fighters and military chaplain | Read more: https://t.co/awpXqw4pZY pic.twitter.com/YClHWKNZm9
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 7, 2022
"We must live in a moment. Many people talk about it, but just a few people live according to this rule. To remain sane, we need to live in a moment, keeping a hope for better. Still, we must take as much as we can from life," said the bride, with the groom adding: "You reconsider some things under such circumstances."
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said: "You know what - I want to make a present to them. But the present for every Ukrainian is to finish the war. Every Ukrainian has just one goal - to stop the war, to stop (killings) of civilian people, women. It is a huge hope for everyone, not just in Ukraine."
The civilian death toll from hostilities across Ukraine since Moscow launched its invasion on 24 February stood at 364, including more than 20 children, according to the United Nations yesterday, with hundreds more injured.
