On Friday morning, two Ukrainian soldiers were doing battle against each other in kayaks in a swimming pool at the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham.

“He kept trying to drown me,” said Andrii Nasada, 31, who lost an eye and two legs fighting to defend Ukraine in the Russian war against his country.

His fellow soldier, Sgt. Mykhailo (Misha) Varvarych, 28, who also lost both legs in combat, laughed and agreed he was trying to capsize his fellow solder.

Sitting in a cottage where they’re staying at Lakeshore’s rehabilitation center, the two laughed and joked. They try to find humor to help them through their serious circumstances.

They arrived in Birmingham on Sunday and will be flying out on Tuesday. Nasada will go to Chicago to be fitted with a prosthetic eye.

“A lot of people have been killed in this war – not only soldiers,” said Varvarych, a commander with Ukraine’s 80th Airborne Assault Brigade, speaking through an interpreter. “There are so many wounded soldiers who don’t have any arms or legs.”

After leaving Birmingham, Tuesday Varvarych and his fiancée, Iryna Botvynska, 19, will fly to Orlando. In Florida, Varvarych will have work done to adjust his prosthetic legs.

After their injuries, both spent months in Ukrainian hospitals. With the continuing war, Ukraine’s economy is in shambles and it’s difficult for them to get the care they need there.

A charitable organization called Revive Solders Ukraine, based in Florida, has worked with U.S. medical organizations including Lakeshore to obtain rehabilitation services for injured services.

While at Lakeshore, the two Ukrainian solders have undergone rigorous rehabilitation workouts. They’ve also learned to make it fun, as they did playing basketball from kayaks in the Lakeshore swimming pool.

Nasada, who also served in the 80th Airborne, said his kayak capsized twice in the Lakeshore pool, thanks to Varvarych. Varvarych said he flipped four times, and enjoyed taking the plunge.

“It’s a good opportunity to try different sports,” he said.

“This week was very intense,” Nasada said.

They both plan to return to Ukraine. Varvarych said he and his fiancé hope to make it back by April 19, in time to celebrate Ukrainian Easter, which is celebrated a week after non-Orthodox Christians celebrate it.

Lakeshore, which has offered its program at no cost to the soldiers, has expressed interest in hosting more Ukrainian soldiers in the future.