A Russian strike struck near the Kyiv apartment of a Ukrainian couple, Liudmyla Ryzhak and Leonid Ryzhak, just before their wedding. Despite the attack, the couple continued with their ceremony, choosing not to let the ongoing war disrupt their plans. The couple had already faced several delays in their wedding due to the war, which has caused widespread destruction and instability across Ukraine. Liudmyla had been getting ready in her wedding dress—an intricately embroidered gown with a white tulle skirt—when the blast occurred. The strike came from a warehouse across the street, damaging their apartment and forcing them to search through the rubble to retrieve their wedding clothes. The attack happened shortly after U.S. envoys visited Ukraine, a period that had seen a temporary decrease in Russian attacks. However, explosions were heard in Kyiv for nearly five hours overnight, and attacks continued into the following day. Despite the chaos, the couple decided to move forward with their wedding. Leonid, a Ukrainian soldier who operates bomber drones in the Pokrovsk area, had returned to Kyiv for a much-needed break. The couple had struggled to submit their wedding documents to the registry office due to frequent air raid alerts. Eventually, they managed to submit their paperwork and were assigned a wedding date of September 8. However, the same day brought another attack, which damaged their apartment. This was not the first time Liudmyla had experienced an attack—she had previously endured an assault on August 20, which disrupted her gas supply and broke windows in her home. Undeterred, the couple continued with their wedding plans. Liudmyla wore her wedding dress, which had small holes from the rubble, while Leonid donned a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt, or vyshyvanka, matching the pattern on her dress. They arrived at the registry office on time but were forced to wait outside due to another air raid alert. After nearly three hours, the alert ended, and the couple rushed back inside. They were officially married, with the officiant saying, "Love is when two people become a team." The couple expressed their relief and gratitude for surviving and starting their new life together.