Following the invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine, a newly wedded couple, Yaryna Arieva and Sviatoslav Fursin spent their first day of marriage collecting their rifles to defend their country from attack.
Yaryna Arieva and Sviatoslav Fursin got married just hours after Russia launched its invasion of their country on Thursday morning, February 24.
But due to the severe nature of Russia’s attacks on the country, the couple didn’t have a honeymoon, instead, they went straight to the armoury and collected rifles issued by the Ukrainian ministry of defence to able bodied adults who were ready to fight for Ukraine.
The couple say they were supposed to wed in May but decided to shift it forward because they ‘were no longer sure of what their future holds’
They both signed up with the Territorial Defense Forces, a branch of Ukraine’s armed forces that is comprised mostly of volunteers. Once armed, the couple headed to the office of their political party, the European Solidarity.
“Right now, we are here and we are doing everything we can. So there is a lot of work to do, but still, I hope everything will be OK,” Arieva said, adding that some civilians who are not part of the defense force were also given rifles.
“There are some places you can get them, and you just sign the papers, and you can go and protect your country,” she said.
“That’s the situation right now.”