Volodymyr Borysenko, the mayor of Boryspil city in Kyiv Oblast, announced on Sept. 5 that he is joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Everyone should be ready to defend Ukraine. Society must realize that when one of the soldiers is wounded or, God forbid, dies, another must step in. It doesn't matter who you are: a mayor, lawmaker, entrepreneur, driver, mechanic,” Borysenko wrote on Facebook.
Borysenko’s announcement comes amid Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive in the south and the east of the country.
“It is now that the decisive, turning point of the war has come. The future fate of the entire country depends on everyone,” he said.
Boryspil is a city with a pre-war population of 60,000 people, located just east of Kyiv. It is home to Boryspil International Airport, the largest airport in Ukraine, which has been shut down since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Borysenko has been the mayor of Boryspil since January 2021.