Bride drives 700 km to marry soldier fiancé on front line

OLENA BARSUKOVA – FRIDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2022

A new family was created in the Dyke Pole ("Wild Field") Separate Special Forces Battalion when Volodymyr, a soldier with the call sign "Metelyk" ("Butterfly"), got married right on the front line.

His fiancée Maria had driven 700 kilometres to marry the fighter.

"Maria was very scared as she drove to see her future husband, but true love is stronger than fear," Dyke Pole says.

Photos from the wedding on the front line were published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Dyke Pole Battalion on Facebook.

The press service of the battalion told the story of the newlyweds in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda.Life.

Volodymyr is a fighter of one of the units of the Dyke Pole Battalion, which is part of a Separate Special Purpose Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces named after Ivan Bohun. 

"His sworn brothers describe him as a fearless fighter who evacuates the wounded under shelling, takes an active part in assaults and saves many soldiers. 

He is very talented and brave, and was awarded the Order for Courage of the III degree," Dyke Pole members said.

The man joined the battalion in April, and has not seen his beloved since then. Volodymyr also celebrated his birthday on the front.

The fighter's new wife, Maria, works for an export company. She had not seen her husband-to-be for eight months when she drove to the front line to marry him. 

"We really wanted to see each other, but Volodymyr couldn’t leave the military unit because he has so many responsibilities. 

And one day he called me and proposed. I said yes immediately," Maria said.

Volodymyr really wanted to share the celebration with his battle brothers. 

"We’ve been through a lot together - it was important to me that my sworn brothers were there with me. They’re my second family," Volodymyr said.

"You’ve travelled 700 km to get married on the front line - why?" the chief of staff asked the bride before signing the papers.

"You know he doesn't look after himself, but now he'll remember that his wife is waiting for him at home.

That's how they are, Ukrainian women," the General Staff says about the wedding.

After the wedding, the fighter continues to serve in the battalion. And after the victory, the couple has one plan – "to live in their own house in the wonderful city of Zhytomyr under a peaceful sky."

Background: Earlier, a defender of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island got married in Kharkiv after returning from captivity.

Also, defender of Azovstal Lev Pashko with the call sign "Horus" got married after being released from Russian captivity.

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