A native of Kharkiv and a former publishing technician, Ruslan Pikhota enlisted as a volunteer in the Ukrainian armed forces immediately following the Russian invasion in February 2022. Wounded in action whilst serving in the infantry, he subsequently worked in military press and communications before taking command of an unmanned systems unit on the front line.
Alongside his military duties, he sketched scenes from the day-to-day reality of the conflict: between 2022 and 2026, he produced over 550 drawings blending black humour with candid observation. Shared on social media and published in international media, his works are also collected in the book *Smile under the Roar of Cannon Fire* (2025) and have been featured in exhibitions across Europe.
