From Rockstars to Dancers... Ukrainian Volunteers Heading to the Battlefield

Tens of Thousands from All Walks Join the 'Resistance'
"Putin's Biggest Mistake Was Thinking He Only Had to Fight the Ukrainian Military"
"Russia Must Fight Against All of Ukraine"

The frontman (left) of the famous Ukrainian rock group Boombox, Andriy Vynokur, stands near his car after purchasing food for civilians hiding in a shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, the 2nd. Photo by AP [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] From rock stars to dancers who were about to perform on the opera stage, people from all walks of life in Ukraine have taken to the battlefield to resist Russia. They are determined, saying, "Russia will have to fight not only the Ukrainian military but the entire Ukraine."

On the 10th, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on people from various sectors who chose to put down their professional work and become volunteer soldiers themselves, as well as their situations. WSJ explained that tens of thousands from all walks of life, including playwrights, members of parliament, rock stars, TV hosts, and dancers, have become volunteer soldiers and joined the resistance.

According to the report, Oleksiy Potyomkin, a dancer who was scheduled to perform as a prince in the Ukrainian classical ballet "Riley" this month, joined the volunteer forces with a gun and medical kit in hand. He said, "Many civilians are participating together," adding, "Instead of sitting at home wasting time, we have united in spirit to do something useful."

Maxim Kurotskin, one of Ukraine's most famous playwrights, joined a territorial defense battalion on the second day of the war, and Andriy Khvilyuk of the rock group BoomBox gave up a U.S. tour to volunteer for a patrol support unit in Kyiv. He regularly updates the situation on social media and also attracted attention as a female singer who carried a rifle and sang Ukrainian folk songs a cappella in front of St. Sophia Cathedral.

In addition, politicians such as former President Petro Poroshenko and female member of parliament Kyra Ludik have taken up arms and gathered acquaintances to stand against the Russian army.

There have also been casualties. Pashari, a Koryo-saram (ethnic Korean) actor and TV host, joined a territorial defense battalion earlier this month and was killed on the 6th by Russian shelling. Despite the news of his death, WSJ reported that the movement to join the volunteer forces was not affected.

Comedian Serhiy Prytula, who runs a charity providing supplies, told WSJ, "Putin's biggest mistake was thinking he only had to fight the Ukrainian military or some nationalists," emphasizing, "They are fighting the entire country."

There are also Ukrainian Americans who chose to return to their homeland and join the fight upon hearing the news of the war. According to The New York Times (NYT), Yuriy Blazkevich, a taxi driver from Ukraine working in Brooklyn, New York City, boarded a plane to Poland after seeing photos of deceased Ukrainian children. He told NYT, "I will do whatever I am told," adding, "I can drive a truck, but I will ask to be allowed to shoot directly."

NYT also reported on other Ukrainian Americans who chose to return home, including Ivan Danilyuk, who works as a waiter at a famous Ukrainian restaurant in New York, Andrey Liskovich, a Harvard graduate and tech company executive, and Yuriy Nikolaevich, a forestry engineer from New Jersey.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.