Themes by tag: women
Polina Kustariova was only a second-grader when russia occupied Crimea. Over time, russian textbooks replaced Ukrainian ones, russian flags and state symbols filled her school, and portraits of vladimir putin were hung in classrooms.
Polina shares that the internet became her lifeline against mass russification. On her own, she studied the Ukrainian language and history, read Ukrainian literature, and practiced her English. Her passion for history often made her a target at school; during propaganda lessons, she was told to keep quiet and avoid expressing her views.
Despite her parents’ pro-russian stance and their hopes that she would change her mind, Polina left Crimea as soon as she came of age and could cross the border independently. Her journey took her first to Kazakhstan, where she approached the Ukrainian consulate. Two months later, she arrived in Kyiv. In January 2026, Polina received her Ukrainian passport and completed training as a UAV engineer and pilot. She now plans to enlist in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Interviews with Polina Kustariova can be arranged both online and in person upon prior request.
Olha Serhiienko is originally from the city of Bobrovytsia in the Chernihiv region. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the Military Institute of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Instead of the usual student routine, the young woman lived in barracks and underwent basic combined-arms military training. Olha was a first-year student when russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The female cadets were released to go home for a single day. That was how Olha found herself in her native Bobrovytsia, which was immediately occupied by russian troops. The cadet did not have time to return to Kyiv.
The young woman’s family hid the fact that she was a future member of the military. She even had to bury her uniform in the garden. She recalls living with a sense of guilt, knowing that her relatives could have suffered because of her, as the occupiers were constantly hunting for anyone connected to the Ukrainian army.
Following the de-occupation, she returned to her studies. After graduating from the institute, she took the oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people. Today, she serves as an officer in the psychological personnel support unit of the 141st Separate Mechanized Brigade.
Interviews with Olha “Pingvi” can be arranged either online or in person in Dnipro, by prior appointment and coordination with the press officer.
Tetiana Fedorova is originally from Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Prior to the full-scale russian invasion, she balanced her job at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with volunteering for the Ukrainian military. Following February 24, 2022, her son joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight on the front lines. Tetiana herself refused to evacuate her native Enerhodar, believing that the enemy occupation of the city would be temporary.
She recalls that nuclear plant workers were intimidated and forced to submit to the occupiers; those who resisted were killed. When the russians discovered that Tetiana’s son was defending Ukraine, they abducted her from her own home. She endured torture as the russians attempted to extract information about Ukrainian servicemen and volunteers remaining in the city. They also questioned her about ordinary citizens who supported Ukraine. Tetiana takes pride in the fact that, despite the torture, she did not disclose any useful intelligence to the enemy. After a month in captivity, she was released, and she eventually managed to flee the occupied territory with her family.
Tetiana found refuge in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, where she underwent medical treatment and worked with a psychologist. In her new home, she enrolled in sewing classes and handcrafted a pair of small shoes for her dog, Luna. She immediately received orders for pet footwear from other owners. This sparked the idea for her own brand, Luna.animalshop. Tetiana began sewing pet clothes and various costumes, completed a business entrepreneurship course, won a grant, and purchased the necessary equipment. Today, Tetiana continues to run her business, support the military, and await both her son’s return from the war and the liberation of Enerhodar.
Interviews with Tetiana Fedorova can be arranged either online or in person in Khmelnytskyi Oblast by prior appointment.
“Female Truck Driver (Category C)” is a reskilling program for women seeking to launch careers in the transport and logistics sectors. Category C certification authorizes individuals to drive commercial trucks weighing over 7.5 tons, opening up employment opportunities in industries currently facing a steady demand for qualified drivers.
The program is tailored for women who are ready not only to complete the training but also to actively work in the new profession upon graduation. To achieve this, the course combines theoretical instruction, intensive hands-on driving practice, and comprehensive preparation for the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ regional service center examination, in full compliance with current Ukrainian legislation.
Practical sessions take place at specially equipped training grounds in Kyiv and Kremenets (Ternopil Oblast), where participants hone their truck-driving skills under the guidance of experienced instructors.
By prior arrangement, journalists are welcome to cover the practical training sessions, which have already kicked off in Kyiv.
Background Information: “Female Truck Driver (Category C)” is a free tuition reskilling course provided by the OnTrack program under the Reskilling Ukraine initiative.
Olha Rukavishnikova is a violinist and athlete. The veteran began studying music at the age of four, and by eighth grade she had taken up conducting. She performed, among other venues, at the Mykolaiv Philharmonic and the Grand Hall of the Kyiv Conservatory. Olha also dedicated 10 years of her life to sports, which earned her the military call sign “Karatyst”.
At 8 a.m. on Feb. 24, 2022, Olha was already standing in line at her local military enlistment office. By the evening, she had received a weapon, and the following day she used it against the enemy for the first time. Olha served in the ranks of Ukraine’s Armed Forces for four years. Her primary weapon was the RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher, although she is also trained to operate a sniper rifle, an automatic grenade launcher, a machine gun and a mortar.
During one combat mission, an explosion threw Olha several metres through the air, and one of the fragments, according to the servicewoman, fractured a cervical vertebra. As a result of the same injury, she lost her left eye.
Olha returned to her unit relatively quickly and continued her service. However, she recently left the military due to health reasons. She is now gradually readjusting to civilian life.
Olha Rukavishnikova is available for interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.
Tetiana is a servicewoman of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Chorni Zaporozhtsi, known by her call sign “Harley Quinn.” She wanted to join the army back when russia first attacked Ukraine. However, in 2014, her husband forbade her from doing so. Five years later, the couple divorced, and Tetiana immediately signed a contract with the military.
She chose the field of communications, and later took up the position of communications platoon commander in the unmanned systems battalion of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade. Tetiana studied cryptographic protection, wrote programs for radio station programming, coordinated with other signal corps members, and sourced technical manuals.
The servicewoman was on duty when the full-scale invasion began. Since then, she has had to set up communications from scratch countless times. Following the defense of the Kyiv region, the unit led by Tetiana relocated to the Donetsk region.
Interviews with Tetiana, call sign “Harley Quinn,” can be arranged both online and offline, subject to prior agreement and clearance by the press officer.
Olena Velychenko is the founder of the Grand Dog canine training center in Kherson. Together with her team, she taught dog owners how to build connections with their pets, while training dogs to assist people.
However, everything changed after the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For some time, Olena remained under occupation together with the dogs, even though her center had been destroyed by russian forces. Following the liberation of the city, she relocated to Odesa, where she began rebuilding her life’s work.
Today, the Grand Dog canine training center also operates in Odesa, providing support to children, internally displaced people, veterans, and individuals going through difficult periods in their lives. Velychenko conducts classes for children free of charge.
Olena Velychenko is available for interviews both online and in person in Odesa by prior arrangement.
On February 24, 2022, Olha Shtern found herself without identification documents. A day before russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she had submitted her passport to change her surname following a divorce. At the time, she was living and working in Mykolaiv, a southern Ukrainian city.
After the invasion began, volunteers helped Olha and her child evacuate abroad.
A host family on Portugal’s Azores Islands took them in. But neither the islands’ natural beauty, nor the support of those who had helped her, nor her volunteer activities there could persuade Olha to remain outside Ukraine. With war continuing at home, she felt she was not doing enough.
She soon returned to Ukraine. In Odesa, Olha enlisted and became a combat medic in a combat unit, where she continues to serve.
She has served in some of the war’s fiercest battle zones, including Bakhmut, Soledar and Blahodatne. She recalls how, during another shelling attack, the blast wave threw her back, and her only concern was that she had lost her radio. Although she has suffered four concussions during her service, only one has been officially documented.
Olha has also faced sexism within the military. She says she managed to overcome that difficult period thanks to the support of her fellow service members.
From time to time, she considers returning to civilian life. But she dismisses those thoughts after saving another wounded person.
Her son is waiting for her at home and is being cared for by his godmother.
Journalists interested in speaking with Olha Shtern may arrange interviews either online or in person in Kharkiv region by prior appointment.
Angelina’s father served in the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade. He was killed in action on June 13, 2023, near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.
Currently, Angelina lives with her mother, Mariana, in Kropyvnytskyi and is a second-grade student. The girl has a passion for creative arts, attends a modeling agency, participates in photoshoots and runway shows.
Mariana works for a charitable foundation, where she provides daily assistance to other families affected by the war.
The family is available for in-person or online interviews by prior arrangement.
Reference: The “Children of Heroes” Charity Fund supports children who have lost one or both parents to the war. The fund offers immediate, personalized assistance, including humanitarian aid, psychological and medical support, as well as educational and development opportunities for children until they reach adulthood.
Alla and Oleksiy began building their life together in 2021. As a serviceman in the “Azov” Regiment, Oleksiy was frequently deployed on missions.
On the night of February 24, 2022, the couple was scheduled to fly abroad for a vacation. However, just a day prior, the fighter was urgently deployed to Mariupol. It was there that Oleksiy witnessed the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and in May 2022, he and his fellow brothers-in-arms entered captivity following orders to leave the Azovstal steelworks.
Since then, Alla, who never had the chance to officially become Oleksiy’s wife, has been fighting for his freedom and return to Ukraine. For four years now, alongside Oleksiy’s mother, Oksana, she has been anxiously awaiting every prisoner exchange. In 2024, alongside other relatives of captured Azov fighters, Alla traveled to the Vatican, where she met with Pope Francis. The young woman continuously initiates meetings with the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the National Guard (NSU) command, and representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Currently, Oleksiy remains illegally sentenced in russia to 29 years in a maximum-security prison. He faces fabricated charges of shooting a civilian woman in Mariupol and committing acts of terrorism.
Interviews with Alla can be arranged by prior agreement, either online or in person within the Kyiv region.
