A moment of happiness and sweetness in the midst of infinite terror. A Ukrainian military doctor, freed Wednesday after about two years in captivity in Russia, has said "yes" to the marriage proposal of her fiancé with whom she served during the siege of Mariupol, their commander said Thursday.
In a video posted on Facebook by Sergei Volynsky, known as "Volyna", who was commander of the 36th Marine Brigade during the battle for Mariupol, former prisoner of war Galyna Fedychyn kisses her betrothed, Mykola Grytseniak, after he proposes to her, ring and gigantic bouquet of red roses in her hand.
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"This love has survived hardships that can break the strongest," said Volyna, who became a celebrity in Ukraine because he and his troops - including the couple - resisted the devastating siege of Mariupol for weeks. "They fought together in the battle for Mariupol, endured the ordeal of captivity and a long separation, but their hearts never stopped beating in unison," he said.
Captivity 'synonymous with inhumane conditions'
The couple reunited following a mid-sentence exchange of hundreds of prisoners on Wednesday between Russia and Ukraine, the largest since the start of the war and the first official exchange since August 2023. The head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, sent his congratulations to the two fighters on X (ex-Twitter).
Today, Halyna Fedyshyn, a combat medic released from captivity, got engaged to her boyfriend, Mykola Hrytsenyak, a Marine of the 36th Brigade.
Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/QCmLy7Q1Lc
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) January 4, 2024
Galyna Fedychyn had been wounded in the war and ended up in captivity in the spring of 2022. According to "Volyna", she was the last woman in the 36th Marine Brigade still held by the Russian army. Fedychyn, who held the rank of sergeant at the time, was also decorated by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2021.
"In captivity, she spoke Ukrainian as a matter of principle. The Russians made several mock preparations for an exchange, only to finally take her back into custody," the Ukrainian General Staff said on Wednesday, referring to the doctor of the 36th Marine Brigade, without naming her.
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Galyna Fedychyn and another soldier from her unit, who was released the day before, will receive "medical care and rehabilitation because captivity in Russia is always synonymous with inhumane conditions," the 36th Brigade wrote on its Telegram channel.
Mariupol's defenders, especially those from the 36th Marine Brigade who had entrenched themselves in the Azovstal steel plant, are considered heroes in Ukraine, having withstood for weeks the deluge of Russian fire that largely destroyed the city.