Russia invaded at 05:00 on 24 February. The night time earlier than, 22-year-old Vlad and his brother-in-arms Mark, additionally 22, have been at a fellow personal’s marriage ceremony. Columns of Russian tanks, howitzers, armoured autos and troop transports rolled throughout the border, simply 40km (25 miles) away. Despite the lengthy construct up of Russian forces, the transfer was a shock – Ukrainian troops scrambled to defend town.
