Artem contacted Ukrainian volunteers for help. He boarded a train and left Crimea, telling his parents he was going on vacation. In reality, he began a dangerous escape route through Belarus.
Full-scale invasion and national resilience, broadcasted live.
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Artem’s visa denied due to unrecognized Crimean passport
Artem tried to leave Russia legally. He saved money and planned to study in Slovakia. At the embassy, he was told Crimean passports were not recognized and a visa would not be issued. His exit route closed before it opened. 6/
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Artem: studies meaningless, journalism under occupation leads to exile
He says the studies felt pointless. The diploma looked like a formality without value. Journalism under occupation meant prosecution, not a profession. Artem understood that staying meant silence or punishment, and neither was a future he could accept. 5/
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Student told ‘Glory to Ukraine’ is Nazi slogan by psychologist
At school, Artem once shouted “Glory to Ukraine” out of a window. Minutes later, a school psychologist entered the classroom. Artem was taken aside and told those words were “Nazi slogans” used during the alleged “killing of children in Donbas.” 3/
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Teen from Crimea escapes 3,000 km to Kyiv to avoid Russian draft
An 18-year-old from occupied Crimea was about to be drafted into the Russian army. Instead, he escaped more than 3,000 kilometers and reached Kyiv. This is the story of Artem, who chose flight over serving the state that occupied his home. — Suspilne 1/
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Former warehouse worker now flies drones with marine infantry in Kherson
Leva: Mornings I worked a warehouse. Evenings I flew the FPV sim, my wife watching. Late 2024 Zelenskyy signed the return law and I returned. Now I fly drones with marine infantry on Kherson front. 8X
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Ukrainian soldier loses phone with song ideas, feels war’s futility
Leva: On Donetsk I hummed song ideas into a recorder for my band The Minority. At Kurakhove base I wrote a chorus, recorded it, then lost the phone in the dark while we walked out. I stopped seeing purpose: infantry in pits that can turn into graves. FPV overhead felt like
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Trench radio, avoiding a minus, grenade, and checking on guys
Leva: We had one radio. The guys in the trench held it. I put my rifle near me, then pushed it away. God forbid I get minused again. I pictured a grenade in the dark. I ran out and asked: All right guys? 3/
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After drone kills friend, soldier suffers concussion and paranoia
Leva: The dugout smelled of urine, smoke, and dust. A Russian drone had just killed a buddy there. I came back from a concussion. My eardrums did not heal. Sleep broke. Paranoia hit. The mortar kept landing closer and closer. 2/