Ukrainian Nurse Who Lost Both Legs In The War Dances With Her Husband For The First Time

The world has been watching in horror since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Civilians have been injured and killed, homes destroyed, and life will never be the same for many survivors, including 23-year-old Oksana Balandina.

According to EuroNews, Balandina, a nurse, lost both of her legs in a landmine blast in Lysychansk, a small city in eastern Ukraine on 27 March, 2022.

Russian troops relentlessly attacked and bombed the small farming city, and Balandina was, unfortunately, caught in the crossfire.

She was walking on a path home with her partner, Viktor Vasyliv, when the landmine blast went off. Balandina, who was walking in front of Vasyliv, was severely injured in the explosion and had to have both of her legs and four fingers amputated. Vasyliv was unharmed.

In an interview with 9 News Australia, Oksana said (translated): “I did not want to live, I did not want to live such a life.”

But being a mother of two, Oksana knew she needed to press on to give her kids the best life. She didn’t want them to see her in such a state, but she also wanted to be there for them and be a part of their lives. “If God left me alive, that is my destiny,” she said.

Despite the tough circumstances and Balandina’s surgeries, she and Vasyliv decided to have a small wedding at a hospital in Kyiv, where Balandina was being fitted for prosthetics.

The two got to experience their first dance together as a married couple, in which Vasyliv carried Balandina around the small hospital room.

Watch the sweet moment below:

Provide Mammograms

Support those fighting Breast Cancer at The Breast Cancer Site for free! →