A 22-year-old volunteer soldier from Ukraine, identified as Akula, described his harrowing experiences fighting on the front lines against Russian forces during a recent interview with CNN journalist David McKenzie.
Akula recounted that life as a soldier was "scary", "cold", and "hungry" – emotions he struggled to put into words. However, it was the feeling of complete isolation and loneliness that had left him most shaken by his time in the war-torn conflict.
The young recruit, who enlisted at the start of the Russian invasion, revealed that he had seen firsthand the devastating effects of the war on civilians and soldiers alike. He described witnessing scenes of destruction, loss, and despair, which has now taken a profound toll on his mental health.
Akula's story is a sobering reminder of the human cost of modern conflict, where young men and women are forced to bear the weight of their country's war efforts. His experiences serve as a stark warning about the long-term effects of trauma on those who fight in armed conflicts, highlighting the need for greater support and care for military personnel returning home.
The interview comes at a critical juncture in Ukraine's ongoing struggle against Russian aggression. With the conflict showing no signs of abating, Akula's story serves as a poignant reminder that the human cost of war goes far beyond the battlefield itself – it is a price paid by individuals, families, and communities for generations to come.
Akula recounted that life as a soldier was "scary", "cold", and "hungry" – emotions he struggled to put into words. However, it was the feeling of complete isolation and loneliness that had left him most shaken by his time in the war-torn conflict.
The young recruit, who enlisted at the start of the Russian invasion, revealed that he had seen firsthand the devastating effects of the war on civilians and soldiers alike. He described witnessing scenes of destruction, loss, and despair, which has now taken a profound toll on his mental health.
Akula's story is a sobering reminder of the human cost of modern conflict, where young men and women are forced to bear the weight of their country's war efforts. His experiences serve as a stark warning about the long-term effects of trauma on those who fight in armed conflicts, highlighting the need for greater support and care for military personnel returning home.
The interview comes at a critical juncture in Ukraine's ongoing struggle against Russian aggression. With the conflict showing no signs of abating, Akula's story serves as a poignant reminder that the human cost of war goes far beyond the battlefield itself – it is a price paid by individuals, families, and communities for generations to come.
like how cold & hungry they are, but what really gets me is how isolated & alone he feels after everything is over... his story is a reminder that war doesn't just affect the people fighting it, but also the ones who come home afterwards 
. His story is so haunting, it's like he's still reliving those moments of destruction and despair. Mental health support for soldiers returning home is so crucial - it can't be stressed enough... they need help dealing with the trauma long after the guns have stopped firing 
i can only imagine how scary and isolating it must've been for him in the middle of all that chaos... 22 yrs old, just a young adult fighting on front lines? my heart goes out to him and all the other soldiers still stuck in this war 
the fact that he had to go through all that as a young man just to defend his country is just heartbreaking 
and its crazy how much it affects him even after being back home 
like, we know war is bad but hearing it from someone who went through it on the front lines is just a whole different level of scary 
. It's not fair to expect them to just "get over" the things they've seen and experienced during the war. They deserve better 
.