In the midst of chaos on the Ukrainian front line, 20-year-old volunteer soldier Akula finds himself struggling to cope with the physical and emotional toll of war. Since enlisting at the start of Russia's invasion, he has endured a grueling landscape of harsh conditions, where temperatures plummet and hunger pangs gnaw at his belly.
Akula's experiences on the battlefield are a far cry from the idealized notions often associated with patriotism and service. "It was scary," he recounts to CNN. "I had never seen so many people die before." The young recruit's account paints a vivid picture of the horrors that accompany modern warfare, where the sounds of gunfire and artillery fire hang heavy in the air.
A harsh reality of life on the front lines is the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Akula admits to often going days without speaking to anyone except his comrades, the silence exacerbated by the bleak landscape around them. "It was very cold," he describes. "Some days I didn't even want to get out of my tent."
As the months drag on, Akula's mental health began to deteriorate. He struggled to shake off the haunting memories of what he had witnessed and experienced. "I thought it was okay at first...but soon the pain became too much," he reveals, his voice laced with a mix of sadness and frustration.
The psychological strain of war is a common thread in many veterans' stories. Akula's account serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of conflict and the need for support systems to help those affected by trauma heal and reintegrate into society.
Akula's experiences on the battlefield are a far cry from the idealized notions often associated with patriotism and service. "It was scary," he recounts to CNN. "I had never seen so many people die before." The young recruit's account paints a vivid picture of the horrors that accompany modern warfare, where the sounds of gunfire and artillery fire hang heavy in the air.
A harsh reality of life on the front lines is the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Akula admits to often going days without speaking to anyone except his comrades, the silence exacerbated by the bleak landscape around them. "It was very cold," he describes. "Some days I didn't even want to get out of my tent."
As the months drag on, Akula's mental health began to deteriorate. He struggled to shake off the haunting memories of what he had witnessed and experienced. "I thought it was okay at first...but soon the pain became too much," he reveals, his voice laced with a mix of sadness and frustration.
The psychological strain of war is a common thread in many veterans' stories. Akula's account serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of conflict and the need for support systems to help those affected by trauma heal and reintegrate into society.
and mental health struggles can be really tough even when you're surrounded by ppl akula's experience makes me wish there were more resources & support for ppl like him after they come back from conflict
. like, we all knew it was gonna be bad but this is crazy 
. akula's story is so raw, I'm literally shaking thinking about what he went through in that battlefield... temperature drops as low as -40c 
and hunger pangs that gnaw at ur soul 
.
. like, we gotta talk about this more than just "we're fighting for our freedom" vibes 
.
. how many times can we ignore the warning signs before someone loses it? 
. it's like they're forgotten as human beings, not just soldiers or patriots.
. it's time we rethink how we approach mental health in times of war 
.
20 years old, fighting in one of the most brutal wars going on right now, and still trying to cope with it all 
I mean, we always talk about patriotism and serving your country, but what about the emotional toll? Mental health is so underrated, especially when it comes to soldiers like Akula who are just doing their job 
The silence on the battlefield can be deafening, let alone the ones at home 
We should be thanking these kids for their bravery, but also making sure we're taking care of them afterwards 
. I mean, can you imagine having to relive all that over and over again? It's like, yeah, we get it, war is bad, but do we really need to see it up close? 
.
a tent 4 days without talkin 2 anyone sounds really isolating 4 me 
can we pls do better 4 these ppl??
and 20-year-olds are already dealing with enough drama in life without getting thrust into the meat grinder of war 
