Viktor has lived in Kyiv his entire life. He took part in the 2014 Euromaidan protests against the government's decision to forge closer ties with Russia at the expense of the European Union. He later enlisted in a volunteer military unit to fight pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.
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Yet with the city now under siege by Russian forces advancing from the north, the young Ukrainian now faces the greatest test of his life. "My ex-wife and the kids left the city on the first day of the invasion," he explained. "I made sure to evacuate everyone I love and who cannot fight from here, and I joined my unit in defense of the city."
Viktor has spent the last few days moving from basement to basement with his fellow unit members. "In the hours when there's no activity, I go back to the office where I work to sleep. There's an underground parking lot there, and I can be safe there even if there are bombings," he said.
Viktor grew noticeably excited when he spoke of the opportunity the invasion has provided to fight back against the Russians.
"Me and my unit operate like hunters. We ambush their convoys, wait for them not to have any aerial cover, and strike," he explained.
"They're scared of veering from the paved roads because of the mud, and we know how to take advantage of that," he explained. "I have alongside me my good friends, people I know and trust. That's why morale is high, and despite the very difficult situation, we're capable of continuing to fight them off again and again. The Ukrainian people need now any help that it can receive with humanitarian assistance, but also money to purchase weapons and the equipment I and other volunteers are seriously lacking," he said.
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