Sharapov
Bizhan Sharopov: Originally from Tajikistan, Bizhan was a PhD student in biology in Kyiv before the war. When Crimea was seized by Russia, he began training to prepare for combat and eventually found his way by bus to the front-line where he joined the Aydar Volunteer Battalion, liberating and defending towns in the Luhansk region. Today he continues his work in the biology field as a researcher and is writing a book about his experience during the war. READ EXCERPT FROM BIZHAN'S STORY