Vladimir Putin ruined my wedding day: The Ukrainian couple who were due to marry the day Russia invaded

Svitlana Chepalova was supposed to marry her Marine Corps fiance on 24 February 2022. Instead, he joined the battle to save Mariupol and was captured. Like thousands more wives and partners of Ukrainian prisoners of war, she is increasingly alarmed by reports of the harsh conditions and daily beatings in Russian prison colonies. Arpan Rai reports

Svitlana (L) in a peaceful demonstration in Ukraine seeking her fiance’s release and Olha (R) with her husband Ruslan (Sourced: The Independent)

Svitlana and Leonid had chosen a beautiful venue for their big day; her wedding dress was picked out, and the most pressing concern on the horizon was where to spend their honeymoon – Turkey had been earmarked as top choice.

“It was a wonderful time, as if we knew each other our whole lives,” says Svitlana Chepalova in an interview with The Independent, speaking of her fairytale romance with her Ukrainian Marine Corps fiance.

There was one problem, the day they had picked. Initially scheduled for 22 February 2022, it had to be pushed back two days to Thursday 24 February. That date is now branded in the memories of all Ukrainians as the day Vladimir Putin declared his “special military operation” and sent thousands of troops across the border to attack Russia’s neighbour to the west.