Veteran Oleksandr Budko to be Ukraine's next 'Bachelor'
Ukrainian veteran Oleksandr "Teren" Budko will be the next "Bachelor" of the Ukrainian adaptation of American TV series by the same name, the Ukrainian TV channel STB reported on May 13.
Budko joined the Carpathian Sich 49th Infantry Battalion as a volunteer at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Budko was severely injured in May 2022 in Kharkiv Oblast's Izium district and lost both legs. He underwent rehabilitation in the U.S. and started walking with prostheses.
"This fall, together with 'The Bachelor,' we will create a friendly national culture for veterans. And we will dive into a new love story," the STB's statement read.
"Today, the perfect man in the eyes of Ukrainian women is a defender with whom you feel safe," according to the statement.
"'The Bachelor' is a great opportunity for me to show many good and positive ideas that are changing us for the better," Budko said.
Budko also won a bronze medal in swimming at the Invictus Games and participated in the performance of the United Ukrainian Ballet in California in 2023.
He also published his first book, "The Story of a Stubborn Man," which touched on his life from Feb. 24 to Aug. 24, 2022.
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Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko
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