Day 205 of War.
“I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another.”
Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Back in the day it was just recommended reading for us at school. A beautifully written, tear-jerking story of young men and women forced to enter a man-made hell on earth. Never could I have imagined that this story would be playing out at present for all of us to see.
But even in the darkest of times, we can see glimpses of sunshine, motivating us to keep going forward. The video captured by one of the soldiers shows a Ukrainian soldier coming back home to his mother after he helped liberate their town from Russian occupation. Let’s dive into the story!
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A video of a Ukrainian soldier coming back home to his mother after he helped liberate their town from Russian occupation has gone viral
Image credits: Вячеслав Задоренко
Days of worry. Days of anticipation. Days of fear. They ended for a moment for this woman, as her son and his comrades arrived on her doorstep with great news—they’d just liberated the Ukrainian city of Derhachi from the Russian occupation forces. Now it was time to celebrate!
The video captured by one of the soldiers at the scene showed the mother running in to embrace her son as soon as he opened the door of the vehicle. Big smiles etched themselves on their faces as the familiar warmth of one another sunk into their skin through layers of fabric.
The mom couldn’t help but run to her son as soon as he starts exiting the vehicle, embracing him tightly, both smiling from ear to ear, as others come in to join them
Image credits: Вячеслав Задоренко
As the other soldiers exited the vehicle, other members of the neighborhood came up to greet them, the mother letting go of her son for just a moment to say hello to the rest. The pair soon returned to one another as the hugs and handshakes went round.
The clip shows Vyacheslav Zadorenko, the mayor of Derhachi District in Kharkiv Oblast near the Russian border, and his family. He shared the video on his Facebook page, with the caption reading: “The day I waited for the most in my life - meeting my dear mother!” POLITICO editor Zoya Sheftalovich posted a translation of all they said on Twitter.
“The day I waited for the most in my life - meeting my dear mother!” Vyacheslav Zadorenko, the mayor of Derhachi District in Kharkiv Oblast, shared the video
Image credits: Вячеслав Задоренко
“My darling! My love!” she said. “I was waiting for you! I knew it, I knew you’d come, my flower bloomed. I thought the war would end when my flower bloomed. Oh god, you gems. I knew it, everyone is safe, I was waiting for you to come. I took all your things, I saved everything, everything to the last gram. But hold on, the house is mined.”
Vyacheslav compliments his mother, saying that she looks great and that he missed her. She proceeds to offer him and the other soldiers borsch. “Oh my golden boy, I knew you’d free me,” she said.
“My darling! My love! Oh my golden boy, I knew you’d free me,” she said, in a translation provided by Zoya Sheftalovich
Image credits: Вячеслав Задоренко
Since being shared, the clip has garnered more than 148,000 views and hundreds of comments. “The best road in life is the road to mom’s home,” wrote one person. “I can’t find the words, emotions are overwhelming, just crying,” added another. “You will not watch this without tears!! Glory to the heroes, glory to Ukraine!”
Derhachi was invaded by Russian forces in February, when they captured large sections of the area under the pretense that the residents largely wanted to be annexed to the neighboring nation. The Ukrainian people there had been living under a brutal occupation for six months until a massive counter-offensive reclaimed over 2,300 square miles of territory.
Vyacheslav compliments his mother’s appearance, and she invites all of the soldiers for lunch, as she’d made borsch
Image credits: Вячеслав Задоренко
On September 11, the Russian Ministry of Defense officially announced the withdrawal of all troops from the Kharkiv Oblast west of the Oskil river. Although this is an important win for Ukraine, the war is sadly far from over.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a statement on Monday praising the Ukrainian forces responsible for the counter-offensive, but continued to urge sympathetic nations to step up their pressure on Russia and help Ukraine in ending this unprovoked invasion.
Derhachi was invaded and occupied by Russian forces since February, until a massive counter-offensive reclaimed over 2,300 square miles of territory
Image credits: Вячеслав Задоренко
“Why is the biggest source of terror in the world - Russia - still able to wage this war? And why can it wage the war so cruelly and cynically?” he asked. “There is only one reason - insufficient pressure on Russia. The response to the terror of this state is insufficient.”
We can all help in assuring the war is one step closer to being over. Here is a link with helpful resources if you’d like to get more information and donate for the cause.
Although this is an important win for Ukraine, the war is sadly far from over. We can all contribute to its quicker end so that many more moments like these can happen
Image credits: Вячеслав Задоренко
Every win renews hope that the Ukrainians can push back Vladimir Putin’s invasion and reclaim their freedom. Every win brings hope that mothers will see their children again. Every win eases our fears for the future.
We very much hope that Vyacheslav and his mother don't have to separate for long again and that peace is imminent.
You can watch the touching reunion here
“The wisest were just the poor and simple people. They knew the war to be a misfortune, whereas those who were better off, and should have been able to see more clearly what the consequences would be, were beside themselves with joy.” Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front.
Day 205 of War.
People have been incredibly touched by the video, and it’s hard to blame them! Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!
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