Young adults from Germany are voluntarily moving to a war zone—not to fight for their own country, but for Ukraine. Some leave straight after finishing school or vocational training; others have only just turned 18. Once they enlist, many find themselves on the front line within a short time, facing trench warfare, drones, and constant shelling. Back home, parents and friends are left trying to cope with a decision they could neither understand nor prevent.

Y-Kollektiv reporters Samuel Häde and Patrick Enssle followed three of these young men over several months in Ukraine, seeking to understand why they are willing to risk their lives for a country that is not their own.