In the first days of russia's invasion of Ukraine, Oleksandr Shandro's son volunteered at the military enlistment office and joined the ranks of the Azov Regiment. In besieged Mariupol, Oleksandr took care of his wife, daughter-in-law, and young grandson. By the third day, they had moved into the basement. First, the power went out, then the gas and water supply stopped. On March 22, 2022, during yet another shelling, Oleksandr's wife Halyna was killed — a mortar round hit. Oleksandr, who was nearby, was also wounded. That same day, their neighbor's wife was killed too. Under heavy shelling, the men buried both women in the yard.

Almost daily, Oleksandr could hear and see the russians bombing the Azovstal steel plant, where his son was located. In May, the defender was able to contact his family and inform them that, by order, they were surrendering into captivity… Oleksandr, his daughter-in-law, and grandson managed to escape from Mariupol, miraculously passed the filtration, and made it to Lviv. 

He waited for his son's return for a long 20 months. After his release, the family was reunited once again. Oleksandr is trying to move on, but after losing the love of his life, it’s extremely difficult.