Ukrainian Couple Marries at Kyiv Checkpoint amid Russian Invasion (Video)

A Ukrainian couple was married near a checkpoint on the outskirts of Kyiv amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, media outlets reported on Sunday.

Lesia Ivashchenko and Valerii Fylymonov, members of the Ukrainian defense forces, tied the knot on Sunday. The bride carried flowers and wore a white veil.

“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 to do it sooner than later,” Fylymonov, the groom, said.

The couple has been together for more than 20 years, but they become official this week.

"We decided – who knows what will happen tomorrow – we should get married in front of the state, in front of God," the bride said.

Lesia stated that she had not seen Fylymonov since the start of Russia's invasion till the ceremony.

Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, attended the wedding and shared a video from the celebration on his Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/Vitaliy_Klychko/status/1500436067891269633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1500436067891269633%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fworld%2F2022%2F03%2F07%2Fukraine-couple-marries-kyiv-checkpoint-russia-invasion%2F9408327002%2F

The couple’s 18-year-old daughter watched the ceremony on a video call, according to The Washington Post.