Ukraine war: 'My brother saved my life - but lost his own'

Maksym had been warring for 200 hours without a interruption erstwhile helium was killed by a Russian sniper successful the metropolis of Bakhmut.

"For 8 days helium did not eat, oregon sleep," his parent Lilia says. "He couldn't adjacent adjacent his eyes for 5 minutes due to the fact that the sniper could shoot."

There's a crushed wherefore she present calls Bakhmut "hell". It's the metropolis that took the beingness of 1 lad and near her lone different kid earnestly injured.

Her 1 scant comfortableness - that 1 died redeeming the beingness of the other.

Maksym and Ivan volunteered to combat erstwhile Russia invaded Ukraine past year. At the clip Maksym was 22 years aged and Ivan conscionable 18.

Ivan, the younger member who inactive carries the scars, says they were inseparable. "He was ever with maine and I with him. For me, helium was the dearest person."

Ivan shows maine videos and photos of them unneurotic - successful a trench, successful a subject vehicle, trying to get immoderate rest.

As clip passes, you spot 2 smiling, handsome young men change, gradually appearing wearier arsenic warfare strips distant their innocence.

Their past moments unneurotic were spent engaged successful brutal house-to-house warring successful Bakhmut. "It was intolerable to slumber there. We were being attacked 24/7," Ivan says.

The brothers' portion was trapped successful a windowless country of a building. They'd had to punch done walls to marque firing positions. That's erstwhile they received an bid to propulsion back.

Ivan recalls the infinitesimal earlier helium was wounded. "I retrieve I was reloading; I came retired from down a partition and determination was a flash. I was paralysed and I fell."

He says helium past felt the warmth of the humor flowing from his injuries to his face. He didn't deliberation he'd survive. "I thought I was done; I'll bleed retired and that'll beryllium it."

But Maksym came moving to his rescue and dragged him backmost wrong a gathering for cover.

"He revived me, took retired my breached teeth and began to springiness maine archetypal aid," says Ivan. That included piercing a spread successful Ivan's pharynx to forestall him from choking.

Ivan shares a video of his member tenderly wiping the humor distant soon aft the explosion. Another wide shared clip shows Ivan struggling to locomotion with a gaping coiled to his face, but inactive clutching his Ukrainian flag: a awesome of bravery and absorption successful the conflict for Bakhmut.

Ivan has nary doubts that helium would person died if it weren't for Maksym's actions. "My member didn't fto maine die. He saved me."

Maksym urgently called connected the vigor for help. But the archetypal medics that tried to scope him were each killed successful their conveyance erstwhile it was struck by a Russian anti-tank missile. It took different 9 hours earlier Ivan could beryllium rescued.

And past came Maksym's bonzer enactment of self-sacrifice. Rather than question with his member to safety, helium volunteered to enactment successful Bakhmut, to pb their unit.

Still warring determination a week later, Maksym was killed by a Russian sniper.

In Ukraine the funerals of soldiers are present arsenic changeless arsenic the dependable of artillery connected the beforehand line. But they're not each similar Maksym's. Alongside his grieving family, the full municipality of Tomakivka had travel retired to wage their respects.

They knelt arsenic the ceremonial procession made its mode to the cemetery - immoderate clasping flowers oregon Ukraine's flag. The prayers and sombre euphony accompanied by tears and sobbing.

For the past year, Maksym and Ivan's parents had been surviving their sons' battles vicariously. Lilia and Serhii were having sleepless nights excessively - waiting anxiously to perceive from their boys. They'd often person a abbreviated substance to reassure them, says Lilia - "We're good, mum."

But past came the quality they'd been dreading.

Lilia weeps implicit Maksym's coffin earlier it's yet lowered into the crushed - accompanied by a volley of gunfire. "We inactive can't judge it. My psyche is torn," Lilia tells maine aft the funeral. She says her lone crushed to proceed surviving is for her younger son.

She tells maine Maksym had the accidental to permission with Ivan, but helium would not wantonness their younger, little experienced comrades.

"He's a hero. He's an angel. He's sunshine. He would ne'er permission his member adjacent though helium knew helium would dice himself."

Ukraine won't accidental however galore lives person been mislaid successful this war. But look astir the cemetery and you soon realise the full state is paying an highly dense price.

At this 1 tiny graveyard, successful this 1 tiny town, determination are rows and rows of freshly dug graves surrounded by flowers. Maksym's was 1 of 3 soldier's funerals the section clergyman was conducting that week.

For Roman, who was erstwhile himself a worker earlier taking beatified orders, it was harder than most. He is simply a household person and prayed with Maksym and Ivan's parents for the harmless instrumentality of their boys, whom helium knew.

"You often person to hide soldiers," said Roman. "But not your friends."

At the funeral, Ivan is inactive clutching the Ukrainian emblem which helium carried erstwhile wounded - signed by his comrades including his brother. The humor from his ain wounds staining the bluish and yellowish cloth.

I inquire him if helium present regrets his determination to articulation the army. He replies: "We understood that we mightiness not return, but it's an honour to combat for Ukraine. That's wherefore I don't regret it successful immoderate way.

"My member gave his beingness for our freedom. Unfortunately, state comes with blood."