Love under fire: 3rd Assault Brigade soldiers start a new family on the front lines
Soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade traded conventional wedding venues for a torchlit outdoor ceremony with a sacred bonfire, marking the battalion’s first “Binding Destiny and Lineage” rite. The Norse-style ceremony was designed to show that family life and service to the state can coexist on the front lines. The event, held in the Kharkiv region, was documented by Frontliner.
In an open clearing in the heart of a pine forest, a metal frame for the ceremony’s arch is being erected. The frame is draped in white fabric and reinforced with wire before being decorated with pine boughs and red roses nestled among the greenery. Nearby, a space is cleared for a ceremonial bonfire, while torches are positioned to create a formal glowing aisle for the procession.
We decided to hold the ritual here,
on the doorstep of the war,
In a clearing far from any banquet hall, a standard-bearer for the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, known by the call sign “Mamaika”, works alongside her brothers- and sisters-in-arms to transform the forest into a wedding venue. When the couple approached her with the request to organize the ceremony, she didn’t hesitate.
“We decided to hold the ritual here, on the doorstep of the war,” “Mamaika” said. “It’s about showing that these moments of joy are worth the effort. Creating this atmosphere brings me so much happiness. Seeing a vision from my head come to life here makes me anxious, but incredibly proud.”
As she works, “Mamaika” notes that public narratives about the military often focus on loss, trauma, and conflict, while the other side of life is rarely shown.
We wanted to show something different.
We want people to see that strong families are built at war,
and that traditional values don’t disappear out here,
they grow stronger.
“Mamaika” emphasizes that many of her brothers-in-arms are devoted fathers and husbands. These are stable, responsible families, she says, holding together despite military service and constant risks.. She also dismisses the notion that women are afraid to build lives with soldiers.
“There are so many honorable men here,” the standard-bearer says. “It brings me genuine joy to see my comrades find their partners and form these unions.”
From the front line to the altar
The newlyweds arrive without fanfare, both dressed in their multicam uniforms. “Somyi”, a soldier in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade’s Unmanned Systems Battalion, had been living in Poland before the full-scale invasion. Within a week of Feb. 24, 2022, he returned to Ukraine to enlist. He met his future bride, “Freya,” on social media during his third year of service.
“Freya” serves as a combat medic instructor in the brigade’s Maintenance and Repair Battalion. Their relationship began at a distance before they eventually found themselves in the same brigade. When “Somyi” transferred to the 3rd Assault, “Freya” followed. The proposal came in November in Kyiv, just as “Freya” returned from basic military training. She says she didn’t expect the ring, but she didn’t hesitate to say yes.
Even compared to the weddings we’re all used to,
it feels completely different,
this is on a whole new level.
“We were on a one-day pass in the city,” “Freya” recalls. “My husband told me he wouldn’t be able to make it, but then he showed up to surprise me. He was supposed to be giving me a birthday present, but when I opened the box, there was an engagement ring inside. My first reaction was a bit of shock; we hadn’t even talked about it. But it was wonderful, a complete surprise.”
The couple traded traditional white lace and tuxedos for their military fatigues. While they had briefly considered a more conventional look, they decided a formal wedding would feel out of place. Amid the war, their uniforms are more than just clothing, they represent their shared journey.
“To have this happen now, against the backdrop of everything Ukraine is going through, is an incredible feeling,” the bride says.
“Binding Destiny and Lineage”
As twilight settled, brothers- and sisters-in-arms lit a ritual bonfire and formed a torchlit semi-circle. An ancient sword, serving as the centerpiece for the “Binding Destiny and Lineage” ceremony, holds the couple’s wedding rings.
The rite is a fusion of Ukrainian and Scandinavian traditions, utilizing fire and steel as primary symbols. The ceremony opened with the “Prayer of a Ukrainian Nationalist,” a standard practice within the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. Presided over by the brigade commander and deputy commander, the ritual moved to the exchange of rings.
The commander then invited the couple to seal their commitment and the bride and groom approached the sword to retrieve their wedding bands from the steel.
Repeating after the commander, the couple recited their vows: “With this ring, I bind my destiny to yours. I take responsibility for our lineage and our shared journey.”
Following the exchange of rings, the commander performed a “binding of destiny” ritual, wrapping a metal chain around the couple’s clasped hands.
The lineage is created. The destiny is bound.
The union is sanctified,
Once the chain was removed, the couple walked through a torchlit guard of honor, symbolizing the beginning of their life together. The ceremony concludes with the first kiss between “Somyi” and “Freya” as a married couple.
The state program is currently falling short,
so we’ve implemented our own.
A new brigade tradition
Leaders within the unit emphasize that organizing such a wedding is more than just a formality. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, deputy commander of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, says the brigade encourages personnel to pursue personal milestones like marriage and family.
“One of our core principles right now is supporting the country’s demographics,” the deputy commander said with a smile.
“Mamaika” hopes that other military units would adopt similar wedding traditions.
“I often find myself imagining what we’ll be like when we’re old,” she said. “I imagine us as grandparents, showing our grandchildren photos from near the front lines and telling them about the day we pledged to start a family.”
The brigade, which already honors its dead by reciting their names in formation, is now making room for the living. The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade plans to introduce a “Day of the Lineage”. During the summer solstice, the names of children born to brigade members will be formally read aloud, a practice the command describes as a cornerstone of its internal culture.
-
A ceremonial bonfire burns during a ceremony to bind the destiny and lineage of a couple, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, March 1, 2026. (Anna Zubenko/Frontliner)
-
A bride and groom stand by the glow of a ceremonial bonfire, Kharkiv region, Ukraine,March 1, 2026. (Anna Zubenko/Frontliner)
In two or three days the couple will return to their units. With no real leave, they will carry out their duties as a married couple.
Life is lived in the present. Not tomorrow or yesterday.
You have to live right now. You have to keep dreaming,
As the ceremonial fire fades, guests share slices of traditional wedding bread, called korovai, and pose for group photos. The forest clearing soon returns to its routine use as a military location, though now marked by the union of a new family.
-
A bride and groom cut a korovai, a traditional Ukrainian wedding bread, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, March 1, 2026. (Anna Zubenko/Frontliner)
-
A korovai, a traditional Ukrainian wedding bread, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, March 1, 2026. (Anna Zubenko/Frontliner)
Adapted: Myroslava Andrusyk
