Ukrainian writer and translator Andriy Lyubka mobilizes to join Armed Forces
Prominent Ukrainian writer and translator Andriy Lyubka announced he has decided to mobilize and join the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
After years of volunteer work supporting the military as well as cultural diplomacy initiatives, he said this step feels necessary because “the war continues” and it’s time “to be not only for the Armed Forces, but in the Armed Forces.”
Lyubka noted that his volunteer team has delivered hundreds of vehicles to the front and thanked supporters for helping them make a real impact.
His volunteer work led him to write a book of anecdotal essays titled "War from the Rear," in which he reflects on volunteering, the unexpected help he has gotten from people along the way, and how the full-scale war changed his outlook on life.
He said on Facebook that he made the decision to enlist back in October, chose a unit, finished key commitments, and is now heading to basic military training.
While he expects it won’t be easy, he wrote that it “will definitely be interesting,” and hopes the experience will also shape him as a writer.
Lyubka is a Ukrainian poet, essayist, and translator. He is the author of four collections of poetry, one book of short stories, and six novels. Additionally, he has been a columnist for Ukrainian and European journals, newspapers, and media outlets.
Aside from English, Lyubka also translates prose and poetry from Polish, Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian.
The Ukrainian military faces a critical manpower shortage, struggling to replenish infantry gaps left by heavy losses in battle-hardened brigades.
