Photo via @christianstreibcnn/Instagram
February 25, 2022, 1:57 pm
According to CNN photojournalist Christian Streib, a Ukrainian couple who had planned to marry later this year decided to switch up their plans after Russia invaded, moving up their wedding date to yesterday, Thursday the 24th. The very next day, both Yaryna and Sviatoslav, a young couple in their early 20s, signed up with the Ukrainian army to defend their country against the massive armed campaign launched by Vladimir Putin.
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Streib posted a photo of the wedding on Instagram, and followed up the next day with a photo reportedly from Yaryna’s Facebook page showing both of them holding guns and announcing that they had joined up to resist the invasion.
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“Yesterday, I posted a picture of a young Ukrainian couple who married the day Russia invaded their country,” Streib wrote in the second post. “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.”
Reports of Ukrainian civilians volunteering en masse to join the defending forces have abounded as Russian tanks work toward the Ukraine capital of Kyiv. Severely outgunned, Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have called for allies to come to their aid.
“The invasion of Russia into Ukraine is not just an invasion, it’s the beginning of the war against Europe,” said Zelenskyy in an address. “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?”
After multiple rounds of sanctions proved ineffective at stopping the invasion, a NATO Response Force has been activated to send supporting troops to Eastern Europe. This could include up to 8,500 U.S. troops, which were put on heightened alert by the Pentagon in January as tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalated. This is the first time in history that an NRF has been activated like this.
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Additionally, the U.S. has reportedly deployed or repositioned 15,000 soldiers to locations in Germany, Romania and Poland.
Reports of causalities on both sides have varied, but it’s likely that hundreds of soldiers and civilians have been killed in airstrikes and other acts of aggression. Instagram commenters worried for the brave couple stepping up to fight for their country, hoping that they would live to enjoy a happy marriage.
“Hope they can survive this together,” wrote one commenter. “Respect for their bravery.”
“Praying for Ukraine,” said another. “I really hope that his couple makes it I am very sorry this is happening.”
*First Published: February 25, 2022, 1:57 pm
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