KYIV, Ukraine — On a crisp Tuesday in Kyiv, a 21-year-old pregnant widow in a simple black dress stood at the head of her fallen husband’s casket, grieving a love story cut short by Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Yeva and Danyil Smyrnov, both 18 when they enlisted in Ukraine’s armed forces in 2023, tied the knot just two years later in July 2025. Eager to build a life together amid the chaos of war, the young couple rushed to start their family before Danyil’s deployment to the front lines.