In a hospital ward in Lviv, newlyweds Oksana Balandina and Viktor Vasiliev are finally sharing their first wedding dance.
For both the couple, 23, it’s a moment that almost never happened.
Very special love story.
A nurse from Lisichansk, who lost both her legs in a mine in Russia, got married in Lviv. On March 27, Viktor and Oksana were on their way back home when a Russian mine exploded. The man was not injured, but both of Oksana’s legs were torn apart by the explosion. pic.twitter.com/X1AQNwKwyu– Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine – Ukrainian Parliament (@ua_parliament) 2 May 2022
On March 27, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, as the couple were on their way home to Lisichansk, Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Balandina stumbled upon an unexplored mine.
“I only managed to get him to shout: “Honey, look!” He looked at me when the mine exploded. I fell face down on the ground. I had a loud noise in my head. Then I turned and started tearing clothes over myself. . I thought it would be easier to breathe because there was not enough air for me,” recalled Balandina.
Vasiliev, who was following him, was not hurt.
“When it happened, it took me like a minute. She was injured. If it wasn’t for Oksana, I don’t know what would have happened. She’s so strong. She didn’t faint. It was Oksana who did.” Coordinated our actions. When this happened, I gave up in despair, didn’t know what to do. I didn’t see him move,” said Vasiliev.
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What followed was a month-long stay in various hospitals as doctors tried to treat him, while some areas of the country were under heavy Russian shelling and attacks.
In the end, doctors had to amputate both his legs and four fingers of his left hand.
He said that he spent many of those days in a dark place.
“I didn’t want to live, I asked if I didn’t want to live such a life, I have two kids. I didn’t want them to see me that way. I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone in my family,” said Balandina .
“But thanks to the support, I accepted it. I need to survive. It’s not the end of life. If God left me alive, that’s my destiny.”
The two children – a 7-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter – are now safe with their grandparents in the Poltava region of central Ukraine.
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After the wedding, the couple are hoping to travel to Germany, where Balandina will receive a proper prosthetic leg and undergo much-needed rehabilitation.
The road ahead is long and with no vision of a long-lasting peace in Ukraine, Balandina says she can only focus on the here and now.
“I want to go back to my hometown, Lisichansk, but frankly, I’m worried for my children. When the war ends, there will be a lot of talk. The road was mined. It’s scary. I don’t know, We haven’t thought about it. The main goal is to take care of the prosthesis and get back on our feet,” she said.
And as for Vasiliev, he is grateful for each day he shares with his new wife.
“I was afraid to lose him. I wanted to cry, but couldn’t. I was shocked, I couldn’t understand that this was really happening. It was terrible to lose the person I love.” They said.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has called Ukraine the most mine-contaminated country in the world.
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