While Russia has drawn criticism around the world for its brutal act of war against Ukraine, the people of the former Soviet nation are being lauded for their indomitable spirit and determination to fight the aggressors. Reportedly, Andrey Khalivanyuk, a prominent Ukrainian singer and part of the Ukrainian music band Boombox, has decided to take up arms to defend his country rather than flee.
The 42-year-old singer, who entertains thousands of Ukrainians through live concerts in various cities, has been heavily outnumbered by his invaders by volunteering to join the Ukrainian military.
However, it seems that even in the face of adversity Andriy Khlyvnyuk cannot resist singing. A recent video uploaded by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to its Twitter handle shows Andrey singing outside a church in Ukraine wearing military gear.
рішки отивації від лідера рту «Бумбокс» ндрія ливнюка pic.twitter.com/VQFdRjahGF— (@ArmedForcesUkr) February 28, 2022
The ministry captioned the video, “A little inspiration from Andrey Khalivanyuk, leader of the group ‘Boombox’.” In the video, Andrey can be seen wearing a camouflage military uniform, while he also carries a rifle. Standing outside the golden-domed church, Andrey passionately sings for the camera in the 41-second clip.
Andrey’s spirit to entertain his fans even in unprecedented circumstances has won hearts online. The clip has garnered over 30,000 likes on Twitter with nearly 4,600 retweets. Support for his battered country was evident in the comments section as Twitter users left heartbroken. “Jassus. I didn’t understand a word, but hearing this dude sing gave me goosebumps,” wrote one user, while others applauded.
Jaisas. I can’t understand a single word, but hearing this man’s singing, my hair stood up. Slavic Ukrainian – ovidiu suteu (@ovidiu_suteu) February 28, 2022
Speaking about his decision to join the Ukrainian military, Andrey told Euronews: “I will take my kids home safely to the nanny’s. And then I will return to follow the instructions of the government.” He had further said that if needed, he would also take up arms and fight for his country.
“Musicians are peacemakers,” Andrey said, adding that at present, the situation was not to play guitar but to “pick up rifles”. Expressing his anguish, Andrey said that “they bombed us”. Meanwhile, he also acknowledged the support Russia has been receiving since its invasion of Ukraine.
Many Ukrainians, especially women and children, have already fled to Poland, Romania and other countries west of Ukraine. However, men of fighting age have been asked to stay and defend their beleaguered country.
Notably, there are also many Ukrainians like Andrey who have shown exceptional resilience to volunteer for the military.
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