A soldier of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade goes on his position near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region in Ukraine. Some Ukrainians are refusing to fight in the war despite societal pressures and warnings from authorities. Photo: Libkos/AP
Ivan Ishchenko volunteered to fight against invading Russian troops, but after a month of combat he was willing to pay thousands of dollars and risk prison to flee the front.
"Before I went to war, I thought I was a superhero. But all heroism ends when people see (war) with their own eyes and realise that they don't belong there," Ishchenko, 30, said.
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