Before the war, I worked as an electrician. Every day meant heading out to job sites, climbing up high, and repairing power lines — all so people could have light and warmth in their homes. Back then, I couldn’t even imagine that the results of years of our work would be wiped out by missile strikes from our crazy neighbor. I couldn’t stand aside when the enemy started destroying everything I’d poured my strength into — and my hopes for the future. So I decided to trade my tool belt for a body armor vest, and my tools for a weapon. Because I understood one simple thing: if we want light in our windows again, we first have to drive out the ones who came to bring us darkness.

Today, I know exactly what I’ll do after our victory. I want to make up to my family for every minute I was away — every day I wasn’t there. We’ll take a big trip across Ukraine together: to be close again, to show my son the beauty of our land, and the resilience and kindness of our people. None of what we’ve been through was for nothing. We held on so that, finally, we can just be a family in a free country.