Before the war, Vladislav was a kickboxer from the Zaporizhzhia region and joined the military aged 19. Now his family fear for his life.

‘Who will defend Ukraine, if not us?’

“But who will defend Ukraine, if not us? You always need to sacrifice something, for the good future of your country,” he responded.

The last time he spoke to his family, he told them that everything would be okay and he would return to them safely.

“I have lost friends, comrades in the military,” Vladislav said.

The Azoz regiment in Mariupol is heavily outnumbered by Russian forces, who he says are using “tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, aviation, artillery, mortars, self-propelled howitzers” against the plant.

“They threw all their forces at Mariupol against us, who have no equipment left, and we are fighting with RPGs against tanks,” Vladislav said, describing heavy bombardment.

But despite the overwhelming Russian forces, Vladislav said “the Azov Regiment does not give up”.