In Kharkiv, in the north-east of Ukraine, the 13th Brigade of the Khartiia National Guard is using social media and cultural events to encourage civilians to sign up – and to show that service is not limited to the front line.
Sasha Zhylyaev, a sergeant with Khartiia, one of the most popular units in the Ukrainian military, is in charge of communications, marketing and fundraising. In his pre-war life, Sasha, who was also a DJ in his spare time, had opened a small café and worked in marketing for companies including Comfy, an electronics store, and Multiplex, a cinema chain.
