<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In several acts of defiance, Ukrainian couples have decided to tie the knot, despite the incredibly stressful Russian invasion in their country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lesia Fylymonova and Valerii Filimonov recently walked down the aisle near a checkpoint in Kyiv. She wore camouflage to the wedding, while he was carrying a rifle for the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course I’m happy,\u201d said Fylymonova, translated from Ukrainian. \u201cI’m happy that we are alive, that this day started, that my husband is alive, and he is with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Fylymonova and Filimonov are members of the Ukrainian defence force and decided to get married after 20 years and a child together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe live in challenging times,\u201d Filimonov said. \u201cYou never know what\u2019s going to happen to you tomorrow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among those in attendance for the wedding was Kyiv\u2019s Mayor Vitali Klitschko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery Ukrainian has just one goal: to stop the war,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fylymonova and Filimonov aren\u2019t the only couples to continue with their wedding plans despite the invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yaryna Arieva, a resident of Kyiv, and her partner got married on the day of Russia\u2019s invasion. They spent their wedding night together, then joined the Ukrainian defence force the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe wanted to get married on the sixth of May, but the war has started and we changed our decision and our plans,\u201d she told CTV News Channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe wanted to be together, to help each other, to care about each other and to cover each other\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arieva hadn\u2019t held a gun before joining the fight, while her husband had some experience with firearms, though no military training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, in Lviv, about 540 kilometres west of Kyiv, Bohdan and Iryna Manko went ahead with their wedding as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifficult times, but we are optimistic,\u201d Bohdan said. \u201cWe are fighting strong and we will win.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe didn’t cancel our wedding because we hope for the better future to rebuild our country.\u201dRELATED IMAGES<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In several acts of defiance, Ukrainian couples have decided to tie the knot, despite the incredibly stressful Russian invasion in their country. Lesia Fylymonova and Valerii Filimonov recently walked down the aisle near a checkpoint in Kyiv. She wore camouflage to the wedding, while he was carrying a rifle for the ceremony. \u201cOf course I’m […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":5086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":""},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[87],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n