Ukrainian teacher from Kyiv joins the fight against Russia
For Philipe Averenkov, a Ukrainian English teacher in Kyiv, civilian life has become impossible amid the war against Russia. That's why he's decided to answer President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call and join the front lines.
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00:00An uphill battle, not just to keep fit, but to prepare for a very real one.
00:11Philippe Avarenkov has decided to join the Ukrainian army.
00:17It sounds like too much, too serious, yeah, but I have lost the meaning of my civil life.
00:25Civilian people die like every day and it's not a joke.
00:29Once a month I wake up due to explosions of Russian missiles bombing Kyiv.
00:36And in this case, learning programming or becoming a developer or creating a family,
00:43it feels like I'm lying to myself.
00:49Philippe is an English teacher in Kyiv.
00:53The 30-year-old has been working for months on his physical and mental fitness.
00:59Right now, although people think that right now is the worst moment to join the army,
01:04and I understand that, because Ukraine lacks shells, artillery, men, everything.
01:13We lack everything.
01:14I feel that I'm ready and I don't care what the situation on the front line is.
01:20I'm strong enough to protect my own country.
01:24Philippe has made another important choice โ to join the prominent military unit, the Da Vinci Wolves.
01:33Its founder, Dmytro Kotsobailio, who was killed near Bakhmut last year, is a national hero in Ukraine.
01:43As part of a bid to boost recruitment, military units like the Da Vinci Wolves are now hiring people on their own.
01:51They recently opened this recruitment center in Kyiv.
01:55Philippe is enlisting at a time when Ukraine's outgunned army faces a renewed Russian offensive in the northeast.
02:03I've been thinking about fear a lot.
02:09I have a fear of my body, but my mind is strong.
02:14When I go outside, I see that the majority of people are afraid, because war is freaking scary.
02:25And you either break or become stronger.
02:30And nobody knows when it finishes.
02:33For Philippe, his decision marks a new start.
02:37A clean break from his life in Kyiv.
02:40I don't need these things, and I'm not sure that I'm going to come back from war.
02:49He's giving up his rental apartment and leaving for a military training camp in a few days.
02:55But saying goodbye isn't easy.
02:58Philippe has cut off ties with his father, who is now serving in the army.
03:04Philippe has cut off ties with his father in Odessa, who he says remains staunchly pro-Russian.
03:11He says his family isn't even aware he's joining the army.
03:15Who will he miss the most?
03:25My friends.
03:29I feel that it's worth protecting them.
03:35I have to be strong.
03:38But the most difficult part, definitely my friends.
03:42They are really amazing people.
03:48In the afternoon, Philippe meets two of them.
03:52Serhii and Ihor have known Philippe since their childhood.
03:56His decision to join the army has stirred a lot of emotions.
04:01Ukraine's army is struggling to find fresh recruits.
04:05A new mobilization law has tightened registration procedures for men aged 25 to 60
04:11and imposed penalties for draft dodgers.
04:15Philippe, however, made his decision well before that.
04:19I support Philippe.
04:23I feel proud of him for making such a difficult decision.
04:29And I'm also a little ashamed that I haven't made such a decision yet,
04:34because I could have made one.
04:44Of course I'm worried about him.
04:47Philippe has mentioned more than once that maybe this is her last meeting.
04:57A few days later, Philippe has begun his military training.
05:02He's already learned to carry a weapon.
05:05He has to be up in the camp by six every morning.
05:09Today the group of recruits is learning to lay booby traps and mines.
05:15Philippe remains clear-eyed about what's at stake.
05:19All this horror, all this terror that Russians do to Ukraine,
05:24Ukrainian people don't deserve that.
05:27I see that if I don't protect my country, my country will cease to exist.
05:34Despite the difficult path ahead, for now,
05:37Philippe says his decision to join the Ukrainian army has never felt more right.
05:44Thank you.