The pair had been residing in Khmelnytsky, nearly 1,000 kilometers away, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Mariia, 26, was there.
As the Russian soldiers ran out of food, water, and ammunition, the entire world watched to see if the Azovstal defenders could hold back.
Despite having a bullet lodged in his leg bone since mid-April and the inability to remove it owing to a shortage of supplies, Serhii, 29, continued to fight.
He talked to Mariia without mentioning his pain. Rather, he proposed marriage to her.
“We tied the knot on April 27, 2022, while Serhii was at Azovstal. After Serhii made a video for the registrar office saying he wanted to wed me, I showed them the video, gave them mine and his personal information, and we were married, Mariia told News.
