Yuri, a Ukrainian gun commander on the frontline near the key battlefield of Bakhmut, was enjoying retired life in Estonia when war broke out in his homeland. Just over two weeks later, he was back, fighting the Russians.
He and thousands of other volunteers are far from home as Ukraine marks the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. War is the new normal for the 52-year-old, whose unit was firing Howitzer cannons some 3 km from the front on Friday.
"On February 24 (2022), I was in (the Estonian capital) Tallinn, because this is the day of Estonia's independence," he told Reuters. Like other Ukrainians engaging the Russians, he asked that only his first name be used to protect his identity.
