'Scary, cold, hungry and lonely': Volunteer soldier shares experience on front line

A British volunteer soldier, Akula, recounts the harrowing reality he faced during the early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, revealing the toll that prolonged exposure to combat has taken on his mental well-being.

Akula's account is one of desperation and despair as he describes a landscape of fear, isolation, and suffering. The young man, who enlisted at the onset of the conflict, found himself facing unimaginable conditions - temperatures plummeting, food running low, and feelings of loneliness suffocating him.

The weight of his experiences is evident in every word, as Akula paints a vivid picture of life on the front lines. With each passing day, he struggled to cope with the psychological strain of witnessing violence up close, and the camaraderie that once bound him to his fellow soldiers began to fray under the relentless pressure.

Akula's story serves as a sobering reminder of the human cost of war, where the boundaries between soldier and civilian are constantly blurred. His experiences highlight the devastating effects of prolonged exposure to trauma, leaving survivors grappling with long-lasting emotional scars that can be difficult to overcome.

"I'm scared all the time," Akula confides in an exclusive interview with CNN, his words a testament to the lasting impact of war on the human psyche. "The cold is real, and the hunger was unbearable at times. But it's the loneliness that gets to you – knowing you're out here fighting for something that feels so far away from home."

Akula's story serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who choose to serve, and the importance of providing support to those who have borne witness to unimaginable horrors.
 
πŸ€• reading about Akula's experience is giving me chills I can only imagine how tough it must've been for him, facing that kind of trauma and loneliness on the front lines his story highlights the human cost of war and how it affects people's mental health we need to support our soldiers and veterans more, provide them with resources and therapy to deal with PTSD and other issues 🌟
 
OMG THIS STORY IS SO HEARTBREAKING!!! AKULA'S ACCOUNT IS TRULY CHILLING AND IT MAKES ME WONDER IF WE'RE REALLY PREPARED TO HANDL THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRAIN OF WAR ON OUR MINDS I MEAN, WE KNOW WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE SOLDIERS BUT IN REALITY HOW MANY OF US ACTUALLY PUT THEMSELVES IN THOSE KIND OF SITUATIONS?? IT'S LIKE WE'RE JUST WATCHING FROM AFAR WHILE THEY GO THROUGH THIS πŸ˜©πŸ’” I FEEL SO BAD FOR AKULA AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH THESE KINDS OF THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO SUPPORT THEM, LIKE, SERIOUSLY 🀝
 
πŸ€• This is what we get when our governments send young soldiers into harm's way without proper support systems in place. I mean, think about it, Akula was fighting for something that felt "far away from home". That's what happens when our leaders drag us into conflicts without fully considering the consequences. It's a matter of national security, but also a question of basic human compassion 🀝. We need to be asking ourselves, why are we sending our young people to fight in conditions like this? What kind of sacrifice are we willing to ask them to make for our own interests? πŸ‘Š
 
πŸ˜” I feel really bad for this young soldier Akula, exposed to such horrific conditions on the battlefield... his mental health is literally breaking down. Can't imagine having to cope with all that trauma & loneliness day in and day out πŸ€•. We need to do more to support our soldiers after they return home - they're not just heroes, they're human beings too πŸ˜”.
 
😩🌫️ omg can u even imagine being in Akulas shoes? he's talkin about the loneliness and isolation and it's like, i feel so bad for him πŸ€• i mean how do u cope with watchin all dis violence go down around u and still hav to deal wiv ur own thoughts and feelings? 😩 it's like, u're tryna hold on but everything is just pullin u apart πŸ’”

and the fact that he had 2 face them harsh conditions without any support or backup is just, i don't even know how 2 process dat 🀯 food runnin out and temperatures plummetin? that sounds like somethin out of a horror movie ❄️

anyway, i think his story needs 2 be heard more often 'cause it's not just about the war itself, but what happens 2 the ppl who get caught up in it πŸŒŸπŸ’”
 
πŸ€• This is just heartbreaking... I can only imagine what Akula must've gone through. It's like he's still stuck in that war zone, you know? The loneliness and isolation must be overwhelming. We should all be grateful for the brave guys like him who put themselves in harm's way to protect others. πŸ™ But it's also super important that we support them when they come back, 'cause PTSD is no joke. I hope Akula gets the help he needs and finds some peace again soon πŸ˜”
 
I'm still trying to figure out why governments are sending young people like Akula into these situations. I mean, what's the plan here? We're just throwing them into a meat grinder with no clear exit strategy? It's all so reckless and irresponsible. And don't even get me started on the lack of support for veterans like Akula when they come back. It's like they're expected to just magically adjust to civilian life after being through hell and back. We need to rethink our approach to war and make sure we're prioritizing the safety and well-being of our service members, not just sending them out to fight for...whatever it is we're fighting for πŸ€”
 
omg u can just imagine how bad it must be 4 him πŸ€• like temp is below zero n food runs out & he's stuck out there with no one 2 talk 2 2 but his mates... n then u add the psychological strain of seein violence every day & it's like, how can u cope w/ that? 😩 i feel so bad 4 him rn
 
πŸ˜• I'm just saying, war can be super harsh on people's mental health, but we shouldn't forget the bravery of soldiers like Akula who are out there fighting for what they believe in πŸ’ͺ. It's not all about the battles won or lost, it's about the sacrifices made by those who serve πŸ™. I get that prolonged exposure to combat can take a toll, but let's not gloss over the fact that these guys put their lives on the line every day 🀯. It's time we start having more nuanced conversations about PTSD and mental health, instead of just treating it like a minor side effect of war πŸ’”.
 
meh, another reminder of how messed up war is πŸ€• i mean, i get it, someone's gotta protect their country, but at what cost? this guy's been through hell and back, and it's gonna take him a looong time to recover from all that trauma 😩. and the gov's all like "support our troops" but where's the real support when they get back home? just a bunch of empty promises πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ. we need to do better than just throwing some band-aid solutions at these veterans πŸ€•.
 
man... this guy akula is literally a warrior but also a victim of war πŸ€• his words are so raw and honest it's like he's screaming into the void about the desperation and loneliness that comes with fighting in a foreign land... i feel for him, you know? it's not just about physical injuries, it's about the emotional toll too 🀝 and how do we even support people like akula after they've gone through something like this? it's like, we need to make sure they get the help they need before they even go into combat... mental health is just as important as physical health, you know? πŸ’”
 
I just read about this young British soldier Akula & it's absolutely heartbreaking πŸ€• He went through so much on the front lines - freezing temps, food shortages, and feeling like he was completely alone in a war that felt like it was happening far away from his own life. It's no wonder he's struggling with PTSD now 🌫️ The more I think about it, the more I realize how lucky we are to be able to leave our worries behind when we go home 🏠 These soldiers put everything on the line for us, & we owe it to them to make sure they get the help they need.
 
I'm literally shaking thinking about this young man going through all that he did in Ukraine πŸ€• His experiences sound like something out of a nightmare, I can only imagine how hard it must be for him to even talk about it now πŸ’” The fact that he's saying "I'm scared all the time" really gets me, it's not just the physical toll but also the mental one 😩 As a parent, it's heartbreaking to think about your child going through something like this and not being able to protect them πŸ€— We need to make sure we're supporting our veterans and making sure they have the resources they need to deal with their trauma πŸ’–
 
πŸ€” this guy's story is super intense, i mean i can feel the desperation and fear in his words... but like what's the source on these temps plummeting and food running low? how accurate is that? sounds like a pretty dramatic account to me 😬 also what's with the "feeling of loneliness suffocating him" - sounds like a classic case of PTSD symptoms, but are there any medical tests or diagnoses mentioned in this story? i want more context πŸ“š
 
I'm getting really worried about soldiers like Akula... I mean, how do they even cope with all that pressure & isolation? πŸ€• It's not just physical harm, but mental health too... 1 year in the trenches is a long time, you know? 🚭 And what about when they come back home? Do they really get the help they need to adjust? 🀝 I feel like we're only scratching the surface of this whole thing... how many soldiers are truly speaking out about their experiences & struggles? πŸ’¬
 
man this guy akula is really struggling post war its not easy being in the military especially when youre dealing with stuff like that on a daily basis I feel bad for him honestly we gotta make sure he gets the help he needs mental health issues dont get the attention they deserve so we can prevent more cases like his from happening
 
πŸ€• I'm so sad to think about Akula's experience on the front lines. It's like, he's just trying to do his job, but the conditions are so harsh that it's taking a toll on his mental health 🀯. I mean, who can handle being in a place where food is scarce and temperatures are freezing? It's not even living, you know? And to be surrounded by all that violence and fear... it's just too much for anyone to handle πŸ’”. We need to make sure we're supporting our soldiers, especially those who have been through traumatic experiences like Akula. They deserve our help and understanding 🀝.
 
You know what really gets me about all this? The fact that people like Akula are still fighting on, even when it feels so far away from home πŸ€•. I mean, think about it - they're out there in the trenches, dealing with temperatures that would freeze your butt off and food that's basically just a memory πŸ’€. And then you add loneliness to the mix? That's like trying to hold water in your hands 😩. It's like, hello, we get it, war is hard, but what about the people on the home front who are supporting these soldiers every step of the way? Don't they deserve some love too? I'm not saying we shouldn't support our troops - of course we should πŸ™ - but let's not forget about the emotional toll this takes on them and their families. We need to be better at providing that kind of support, you know? It's like, we're all in this together πŸ’•.
 
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