Couple's wedding day disrupted by Russian drone strike in Kyiv

Leonid, 43, had been serving on the front near Pokrovsk, operating bomb drones against Russian forces, before receiving leave to marry Ljudmyla, 33, in Kyiv. Their attempts to book a civil ceremony were thwarted six days in a row by attack warnings, and only a Tuesday morning slot became available after a lull in fighting. That evening, a Russian aerial assault struck a warehouse across the street, sending a pressure wave through their apartment, breaking windows, igniting curtains and damaging furniture.

The family escaped with Ljudmyla's six-year-old daughter, two hamsters and a cat that had hidden, seeking refuge in the nearest bomb shelter. After five hours of continued drone attacks, they returned to the wrecked flat, salvaging a damaged wedding dress and Leonid's camouflage shirt, while the cat reappeared. Despite the chaos, they proceeded with the ceremony at 10:40 after another three-hour delay.