Two Ukrainian army couples who met during the war tie knot in double wedding: 'Life goes on'

Love triumphs over war, and that's what happened in Ukraine when two couples from the same brigade wed within months of meeting each other. The double wedding saw Khrystyna Lyuta, 23, and Volodymyr Mykhalchuk, 28, tie the knot alongside Kristina and Vitaliy Orlich, both 23, as reported by Agence France-Presse. All four of them are in the 14th Mechanized Brigade and have been fighting Russian forces. Their weddings were solemnized in front of a registry office in Druzhkivka, roughly 25 miles away from the frontlines. Priest Yuriy Zdebskiy said it was the "first marriage in the brigade in wartime" since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. Their brigade commander Oleksandr Okhrimenko said the location of the wedding was chosen primarily for "security reasons."

"War is war, but life goes on," Lyuta told AFP shortly after marrying Mykhalchuk. Kristina said, "I believe that this is about creating a new family — it doesn't matter where it happens or how." The double weddings come just three months after Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, reported PEOPLE. The couples met during their service with the 14th Mechanized Brigade and fell in love during the war. Mykhalchuk and Lyuta had never met each other before and learned that they hailed from the same region. Despite having known each other only two months, Mykhalchuk insisted the decision to get married wasn't a hasty one. "The main thing is that we love each other and we want to be together," he said. 

 
Kristina wore a traditional white and red dress for the wedding while Lyuta wore boots and camouflage pants, matching them with a traditional red Ukrainian blouse. "I've got used to this uniform," said Lyuta about wearing the uniform, reported VOA. Both the grooms wore their soldiers' uniforms. Even as the couples tied the knot, air raid sirens went off three times reminding them of the dark times they were living through. The brigade's chaplain flicked holy water and placed crowns on their heads, an Orthodox Christian blessing on the day of a major Church holiday, the Festival of the Holy Trinity.
 

Due to the war situation in the country, their friends and family couldn't be in attendance. Kristina said her mother had already taken to Orlich after speaking to him virtually and is already calling him "a son." Their celebrations were cut short as they had to report back for duty on the same day. "There's no time for celebrations," said Priest Zdebskiy. Brigade commander Okhrimenko said he can't afford to give them any off days but promised to keep them at a safe distance from the battle. "The only thing is that they won't be on the frontline," said their commander. "They will stay in the rear." 

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