Sawt Falasteen - Amid war, Ukrainian soldiers celebrate love at ritual wedding

Torches lit the way for the 30-year-old groom, known by the callsign Ice, and the 32-year-old bride, Khomochka, through the woods to the altar as fellow soldiers formed a guard of honour.

"Before our brothers-in-arms and ancestors, before those no longer with us and those who stand before us, we speak this oath," they said in unison as the ceremony began.

Combining pagan Slavic traditions and Orthodox Christianity, the "Mysteriya" ritual revived by the Azov brigade serves as the formal ceremonial framework for the unit's most significant moments.

Branches were draped with colourful ribbons and ritual wreaths, while bonfires blazed high, ready for the military brotherhood to gather around them.

The ceremony also drew uninvited guests.

Right before the event started, several long-distance drones, usually sent to strike enemy territory, buzzed over the gathering.

Celebrations still went ahead.

More than four-and-a-half years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, moments of peace and joy have become especially valuable to the soldiers.

"Events like this show that not everything ends with war -- that life goes on," said Dmytro Rogoziuk, the commander of the 60th Brigade.

"To be honest, for me personally as a commander, there are very few events that bring genuine joy."

- 'I swear' -

Though they had been legally married for a year, the couple saw the paperwork as a mere formality, compared with the solemn vows they exchanged before fellow soldiers with whom they had fought for a decade and shared life-and-death risks.

Their daily reality was now manpower shortages, Russian offensives, lack of leave, dangerous rotations to the front lines and reports of their friends' deaths.

While the exact death toll of this war is unknown, various estimates suggest the casualties number in the tens or even hundreds of thousands.

Khomochka managed the unit's medical service, carrying the heavy load of trying to save the wounded.

"She's unstoppable, like a live wire," said Ice, whose blue eyes -- which gave him his call-sign -- warmed up when he looked at his wife.

He ended his vows saying: "Your honour shall become my honour, your home shall become my home."

Khomochka repeated, word for word.

With one voice, they declared to the assembly.

"Such is our word, such is our oath. I swear!"

Their friends and brothers-in-arms loudly proclaimed they accepted the oath.

"If we don't live here and now, then when should we live, when we are in a state of war?" Khomochka said.

Z.AbuSaud--SF-PST