Love and war of a single stormtrooper

      The love story of Sergey and Anastasia is incredible. They started communicating remotely when he was already in the SVO zone. When they met in person, they immediately decided: "My person!" In March 2024, the lovers got married, and two weeks ago, they became happy parents. Sergey, with the command’s approval, purposely scheduled his leave to be with Anastasia during this exciting and joyful moment. Baby Stefaniya was born a few days before dad had to return to his unit. Upon the birth of their daughter, the family received congratulations from the head of Dzerzhinsk, Mikhail Klinkov, and the chairwoman of the city council, Victoria Nikolaeva. "This is a wonderful event!" exclaimed Mikhail Petrovich. "I'm proud that there are heroes like Sergey in Dzerzhinsk. He volunteered to go to the SVO zone and contributes to our victory! Also, his troops raised the flag with the Dzerzhinsk emblem in the liberated city of Torez in the DPR, formerly Ukrainian."

      "Tomorrow, I'll come—prepare the wedding!"

      It should be noted that Anastasia and Sergey knew each other in their youth—they trained judo under the same coach. Nastya admits that she liked her future husband very much: a handsome blonde, a successful athlete. But at the time, three years of age difference mattered: he was already a young man, and she was still a girl. Moreover, Nastya left the judo section, choosing the modeling business instead. Looking ahead, she is a contestant in the "Mrs. Dzerzhinsk-Russia" pageant, a member of the city women’s council, involved in the volunteer movement "BlaGoDarYu," helping homeless and needy people.

      Years later, Sergey found a girl himself on social media. They started communicating online. One day, he posted a new photo—lying in a hospital bed, IV drip attached. When asked anxiously, "What happened?" he casually replied, "Went to defend the Motherland. Got blown up on a Ural." That’s how Anastasia learned he was in the SVO zone.

      "At first, I didn’t believe in love at a distance, but Seryozha surrounded me with care that I could feel even a thousand kilometers away!" she smiles. "My parents have a strong family: my mom stands firm behind my dad. Before, I had to solve all my problems alone. Only with Sergey did I understand what it's like to be a wife!"

      He fulfilled all her little dreams. Thanks to modern technologies, delivery, and online payments, he organized a lavender field tour or sea fishing, arranged a foam party at a hotel she was vacationing in with her older son, sent flowers and balloons as gifts. "Only gypsies with songs haven't come to you yet," friends would joke.

      She shared their amazement and... waited. Waited for Sergey to come home on leave. Tired of waiting, she decided one day: "I'll go myself!" Many advised against it—"They’re bombarding there!"—but her mother supported her. In December 2023, she visited the DPR, in Torez. She saw and heard a completely different life: destroyed homes, constant sounds of incoming and outgoing shells...

      But Sergey was nearby. He proposed almost immediately. He explained his haste: "I realized right away—you’re mine! And I want you to know: my intentions are very serious." They bought their engagement ring right there, in Torez.

      Anastasia had been to the Donetsk People’s Republic four times, even spending her vacation there.

      "The first time, I went on adrenaline, didn’t pay attention to anything," she recalls. "Later, I realized that the front line wasn’t far away. But I wouldn’t say I was especially scared. I trusted Sergey completely: I knew he wouldn’t let me be in danger, he controlled every step I took."

      One day, Sergey called and said, "I’m coming the day after tomorrow—prepare the wedding!" And in four days, somehow, everything fell into place: the cafe, the host, the cars, the ceremony, the guests. The lovers officially became husband and wife on March 22, 2024...

      "I must help my country,"

      Sergey is a native of Dzerzhinsk. His father is a lawyer, his mother an accountant. But he spent his entire school years thinking only about sports—two training sessions a day, competitions, trips, injuries. Fortunately, he studied in a special sports class at School No. 39: teachers understood his busy schedule. Sergey achieved serious success in judo: multiple regional champion, prize-winner at Russian competitions.

      From childhood, he was distinguished by extraordinary strength of spirit and determination. He didn’t fear opponents, had a clear goal, fought through exhaustion and pain, adhered to strict discipline. Little did he know how these qualities would help him in the future, especially during the war...

      After school, Sergey enrolled at the Volga-Vyatka Academy of Public Service, studying "State and Municipal Management." But he didn’t finish: he wanted to become independent and well-off sooner. He started working in sales.

      He clearly remembers the day he decided to volunteer for the SVO zone: September 21, 2022, after a lengthy speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin. By October 1, he was on the Kherson front, as a regular soldier, in the "Giacint" crew.

      "I realized I had to help my country," he explains simply.

      He was even not originally drafted for mandatory service—he was rejected due to asthma. When asked how he coped early on without military experience, he replies with a faint smile:

      "In combat, all training is through extramural courses. As they say, if you want to live… And it’s not even certain that army service would have helped: being there, you can’t really understand what it’s like… But I’ve never regretted my choice. Many of my friends volunteered for the SVO too."

      After Kherson, he served in Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and the DPR. Command recognized Abram’s combat skills: from crew member to commander of an assault squad, then to commander of a grenade launcher platoon. Now, under his command, about twenty soldiers are responsible for their lives, bearing heavy responsibility.

      The assault soldier, awarded the "For Courage" medal, is laconic. He doesn’t like to recall civilian wartime days—it's hard, painful. He only shared the story about the flag.

      "My unit’s humanitarian aid is brought by Yevgeny Minervin. I asked him to bring the flag with the Dzerzhinsk coat of arms, which I love and am proud of. Raising this flag over the former Ukrainian Torez—now also Dzerzhinsk—was a matter of honor for me."

      He briefly mentioned his injuries. One was near Kherson. After face surgery at the Burdenko Hospital, he recovered for six months.

      "Even if I had the chance, I wouldn’t stay at home," Abram comments on speculation that he might be discharged due to health. "I couldn’t not go back. My guys are there."

      His wife also recalled another injury:

      "Seryozha never shares details; heProtects me. He just says he's going on BZ. After each such message, we were out of contact for several days. I was utterly anxious. And suddenly—his long-awaited call via video. 'Look,' he shouted happily, 'I got shot in the head. Don’t cry—everything’s fine, I’m alive. Remember, it’s my third birthday!'" — and he was covered in blood after a shell hit their trench.

      "Hope," Anastasia answers when asked what helps her wait for her husband—"Hope that all this will end soon. I tied my fate to Sergey when he was already in the SVO. I accepted his choice. Now, I only have to wait for victory and his return home. That will be one of the happiest days of my life."

      She says that family support, as well as backing from the home front, is very important. Understanding that people value your military effort, helping, motivates and boosts morale.

      "War is terrible. But it definitely changes you for the better," Sergey believes. "Our cause is just—we will definitely win!"

      Katerina Kozlova. Photo by Kirill Martynov