“Im don make wedding rings from tin foil way im ask say make I marry am. Of course, I tell am say yes,” Valeria Subotina don remember.
“Na im be di love of my life. Our rings na just perfect,” she tok.
Im and im partner Andriy Subotin, 34, wey be captain for di Ukrainian army dey plan to marry inside Mariupol bifor di war.
Dem dream about throwing a big party wit dia friends and families.
But just afta di invasion begin, Russian army rush to di strategic port city for di south of Ukraine wey dem surround am for days.
Mariupol now dey under constant Russia shelling, streets dey on fire, food no dey, electricity, water too no dey.
Di last siege last almost three months.
Dem kill tens of thousands of civilians.
For di meantime, many Pipo for Mariupol day desperate to find cover inside di Azovstal steel plant, wia ova 30 bomb shelters don dey.
Dis shelters na wetin dem build for di Soviet era as protection from di nuclear war.
Dis na wia Valeria marry – wey im turn widow, within two days.
‘Borderline famine’
Valeria na poet wen di Russian invasion of Ukraine start.
Im later become di press officer of di Azov Brigade, part of di Ukrainian National Guard wey draw controversy ova im alleged early association wit far-right groups, one claim Azov itself don deny.
As di war don fire, troops from Ukraine don retreat to di bunkers of di Azovstal plant, along wit di civilians.
Di entrance of di bunkers day like one hole, na so pesin gatz to go down several stairs wey don collapse, Valeria remember.
“You go move thru tunnels and go down di ground until pesin go see concrete cube, some kind room wey dey safe,” she tok.
Inside di bunkers, pipo don build kitchens wia dem dey cook leftover food.
Wen dem find flour, dem go knead di dough and bake cakes.
“We call am bread, but na just flour cakes on top water. That be how we survive. Na borderline famine,” Valeria tok.
“We dey like mouse wey dey put together whatever we go find. We fit sleep on top rags or clothes.
“E fit be dark well well for some places, but pesin im eyes sabi am as normal. But of course nothing dey normal for our lives back den.”
On 15 April 2022, one ogbonge bomb don drop on di plant wey Valeria hurt.
“Dem find me among di dead bodies, di only one wey dey alive. Na miracle, but also terrible wahala.”
Valeria spend eight days inside di underground hospital for Azovstal wia dem treat am among hundreds of soldiers wey die legs cut.
“Dem neva get proper help because na small medicine dey. Di smell of di blood and rot dey everywhere,” she tok.
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Valeria im partner also dey stationed for Azovstal. Afta im injury, im propose say e go marry am inside di bunkers.
On 5 May, di couple sign di documents wey dem send scanned copies to Andriy im parents, who carry go di registry office to officially finalise di marriage.
Dem do di ceremony inside di bunkers, as dem dem wear military uniform as wedding dress and rings wey dem carry tin foil do am.
Andriy promise Valeria say im go buy am proper wedding ring once di war don end.
But on 7 May, im die as im dey perform combat mission for di region.
“Pipo tok about di sensation wey pesin feel when someone dem love don die, but I neva feel dat kind tin,” Valeria tok.
“On di day dem kill Andriy, bifor I get di news, na I dey good mood. Dat time, I don marry wey love enta my head”
Di time im sabi say im husband don die, she neva cry, she keep all for inside.
“Inside Azovstal, one day, be like one year. First, I be bride, di next day I become wife and di next day I become ….I dey fear to even tok di word.”
Prisoners of war
For di early part of May, di thousands of Ukraine pipo wey dem shelter for Azovstal steel plant without food or medicine for 80 days, for dey evacuated.
For di start, dem allow make civilians lerf di plant, den di Russian army don take di soldiers captive.
Hopes don dey say dem go release dem as part of one prisoner’s exchange deal.
But afta more dan two years, thousands of Ukraine soldiers including 900 Azov Brigade members – wey many for Ukraine regard as national heroes – dey for Russian hands.
Dia families don protest say make Ukraine authorities do di exchange deal more times.
Di process say dem go exchange prisoners of war dey complicated.
Dem release nearly 3,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia for di exchange since di war.
More dan 10,000 odas still remain inside custody for Russia.
One recent investigation by di United Nations don find say Ukrainian prisoners of war don suffer beatings, electric shocks, rape, sexual violence and mock executions.
Valeria don dey inside captivity for 11 months.
Im go thru torture and abuse, na so im publish one book about im time inside prison.
Her late husband Andriy im body still dey inside di Azovstal steel plant.
“[Russians] don kill wey dem destroy everitin wey I love – my city, my friends, and my husband,” she tok.
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