Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a young couple from the second biggest country in Europe, who were due to get married later this year pulled the date forward, and have now joined the Ukrainian defence forces.?
21-year-old Yaryna and 24-year Sviatoslav were all set to get hitched in May but after Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade their country, they changed their plans, and joined the army.?
Yesterday, the couple tied the knot at St Michael's Golden Domed Monastery in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. After 24 hours of exchanging wedding vows, the young couple joined the country's resistance force against the Russian invasion.?
Their story was shared by CNN journalist Christian Streib.
A photo of the couple was posted on Streib's Instagram account where Yaryna and?Sviatoslav can be seen getting married along with the caption: "Yaryna, 21 and Sviatoslav, 24 decided to move their May wedding forward and tie the knot today after Russia invaded their homeland last night."?
In another post, the journalist shared a photo which showed the newlyweds holding AK-47s with the caption,?"Yesterday, I posted a picture of a young Ukrainian couple who married the day Russia invaded their country. Today, Yaryna, 21, posted this picture on her Facebook page, proudly displaying the AK-47 assault rifles, received from the government, so she and her husband Sviatoslav, 24, can join the resistance and defend their country."
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Russia a day ago, and sent thousands of troops into its neighbouring country.?
The UK, US, and European Union have announced sanctions against Russia for its incursion into Ukrainian sovereign territory. However, many believe that the sanctions against banks, airlines, and even private citizens, are not enough.?
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the citizens of European countries to protest and demand stronger action from their governments.He said: "The invasion of Russia into Ukraine is not just an invasion, it's the beginning of the war against Europe.
"Against the unity of Europe. Against basic human rights in Europe. Against all rules of coexistence on the continent. Against the fact that European states refuse to divide borders by force. What are you going to do about it? How are you going to defend yourselves if you are so slow helping us in Ukraine?" he asked.?
He also said he will not leave Kyiv despite his life being in danger.?In a video message earlier on Friday, he said: "[The] enemy has marked me down as the number one target. My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state. I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine."
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