Themes by tag: women

For over three years, Oleksandra waited for her father, a soldier held in russian captivity. All that time, the young woman searched for any scraps of information — reaching out to relatives of freed POWs, making posts on social media — but mostly, she was met with silence.

On June 19, 2025, Oleksandra received the news she had longed for: her father had been freed from captivity and returned to Ukraine. After that, she decided to support others still searching for their loved ones and waiting for prisoner exchanges. With her father’s permission, she made a social media post asking people to send her photos of their relatives in captivity. She shows these pictures to her father, and he tries to recall whether he saw these people while imprisoned.

Oleksandra receives hundreds of messages with photos. The freed defender often asks for the person’s date of birth, as in captivity, everyone begins to look alike. In just two weeks, Oleksandra’s father managed to recognize three people. Of course, the information may not always be accurate.

Oleksandra helps others without expecting anything in return because she understands the pain of waiting for a loved one to return from captivity.

You can speak with Oleksandra online or in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion began, Olena Ryzh worked in the restaurant business for over 20 years. She climbed her way up from being a waitress to a manager and also worked as a service and communications trainer.

When the full-scale war broke out, Olena joined the DonorUA team: she helped evacuate people from Irpin and delivered humanitarian aid to those who stayed behind. After the region was liberated, she returned to her normal life but didn’t feel like she was in the right place. The thought of trying herself in the military wouldn’t leave her.

Soon after, she joined the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Mahura”. Olena took on the role of an assault soldier and, after training, was sent to the front lines. She was wounded during combat but returned to service after treatment.

Olena has since transferred to the 412th Separate Nemesis Regiment, where she now serves as a senior combat medic. She also runs a blog where she offers advice on effective communication between civilians and military personnel.

You can talk to Olena Ryzh online or offline in the East, by prior arrangement.

• military
• women

Svitlana Sysoieva, a mother of two Ukrainian defenders from the Kharkiv region. Her eldest son, Serhii, was a seasoned fighter and a devoted patriot. At just 17, he joined the Revolution of Dignity, later fought in the Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operations (ATO/JFO), and from the early days of russia’s full-scale invasion, served in Ukraine’s Special Forces, often deployed to the front line’s most dangerous hotspots.

In the summer of 2022, Serhii was killed during a combat mission. Svitlana says he wasn’t supposed to be on that operation, but when the unit lacked a medic, he volunteered to go with his fellow soldiers. An enemy bullet struck him in the head. Although he was evacuated, doctors couldn’t save him. Serhii was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” III degree.

Svitlana’s younger son, Maksym, signed a military contract in 2021. After Serhii’s death, he stayed on the front lines. In December 2022, he was seriously wounded, losing part of his leg, and was later discharged from service.

In the summer of 2023, Svitlana channeled her pain into purpose and launched a women’s clothing brand, one that also creates adaptive garments tailored to the needs of wounded veterans. Today, Maksym works alongside his mother, helping grow the business.

Svitlana is available for interviews both online and in person in the Kharkiv region, by appointment.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• women
• Kharkiv

In Lviv, women are training to become professional bus drivers through the “She Drives” initiative. Fifteen candidates were competitively selected for the program and are currently undergoing free instruction at a local driving school. Upon completion, they will receive a category D commercial driver’s license. The core training is supplemented with additional sessions led by experts from the State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety, psychologists, and career advisors.

For reference: The “She Drives” pilot project was launched last year to train and employ women as bus drivers across 11 regions of Ukraine. Its primary aim is to expand employment opportunities for women in public transportation by preparing them for roles at municipal transit agencies.

The initiative is being carried out by the NGO Institutional Development Foundation at the request of the Ministry for Communities and Territorial Development of Ukraine. It is supported by UN Women in Ukraine and funded by the governments of France, Poland, and Sweden. Local partners include municipal transport agencies and private passenger carriers.

• women
• Lviv

When russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vita Anniuk was living thousands of miles away in Italy. But distance didn’t stop her. She had been abroad for two years, yet the moment war broke out, she packed her bags and returned home.

At first, Vita threw herself into volunteering. But it wasn’t enough. Within a month, she made the decision to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Her initial attempt at mobilization was rejected, officials cited her lack of military experience. But Vita didn’t give up. For six months, she showed up at the military recruitment center regularly, reminding them she was ready and willing to serve.

In October 2022, her persistence paid off. She received her military ID and joined the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade. Thanks to her background in psychology, she was assigned to the combat stress control group, where she helped soldiers cope with the psychological toll of war.

Soon after, she was transferred to the 505th Separate Marine Battalion and appointed deputy commander of an air assault company, a role that placed her on the front lines.

Vita served in some of the most active combat zones in the Donetsk and Kherson regions. She took part in evacuating the wounded during operations in Krynky, came under mortar fire, and even provided medical care to captured russian troops.

Vita Anniuk is available for interviews, both online and in person, with prior approval from a press officer. She will be in Kyiv until July 17 before returning to her unit.

• military
• women
• Kyiv

Anna met Oleh in 2020, while he was already serving in the Azov Brigade. Their connection began through phone calls and messages and gradually developed into a serious relationship. The couple’s daughter was born shortly before the start of the full-scale war. Oleh served in the Azov Brigade alongside his twin brother, Vitalii. From the earliest days of russia’s invasion, both took part in the defense of Mariupol.

In April 2022, the brothers were part of a group attempting to break through to Azovstal when they came under heavy fire. Vitalii was killed, while Oleh was wounded but managed to reach the steel plant. A month later, he was taken captive.

On the night of July 28-29, 2022, Oleh and 192 fellow prisoners were being held in Penal Colony No. 120 in Volnovakha, also known as Olenivka. That night, several explosions struck the facility. More than 50 members of the Azov Brigade were killed and over 100 were injured. When russian media released lists of the dead and wounded, Anna found her husband’s name on both.

It was later confirmed that Oleh had survived.

Since then, Anna has fought tirelessly to bring him home. She joined the Olenivka Community NGO, which advocates for the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war. The group recently appealed to Ukrainian authorities to consider exchanging the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) leader Metropolitan Onufriy for the seriously wounded Azov fighters who survived the Olenivka attack.

Anna believes this may be a real chance to secure the release of all 49 severely wounded soldiers still in captivity.

Anna Lobova is available for online interviews with journalists by prior arrangement.

• prisoners
• women

The “Forklift Operator for Women” course is a free vocational program under Reskilling Ukraine’s OnTrack initiative. 

The training course is designed to help women without specialized education master the profession of warehouse forklift driver. The course includes both theoretical online training and one week of hands-on practice.

Upon completing the practical training, participants will take an exam and receive a state-issued forklift operator license as well as an English-translated certificate.

Journalists may cover the training by prior arrangement.

• women
• Kyiv

When the full-scale invasion began, Annetka set her heart on serving in the Ukrainian military to fight the enemy. Being underage at the time, she was initially unable to enlist. Once she reached the required age, she signed a contract with the 13th Khartiia Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, immediately expressing her desire to work with drones.

Annetka completed basic training, which covered the fundamentals of FPV drones operations, and was assigned to a technical unit. She now supports her fellow soldiers by assembling drones destined for the frontline. Additionally, she is actively learning to pilot FPV drones, intending to become a UAV operator soon.

Annetka is available for interviews both online and in person by prior arrangement and with approval from the press officer.

• military
• women

In 2019, Yevheniia Virlych became the head of Kavun.City, a Kherson-based media outlet covering local news. She developed the platform, secured grant funding, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, launched a project to debunk myths about the disease and vaccination.

After russian forces occupied Kherson, the publication refused to shut down. Kavun.City reported on everything happening in the city, from russian raids to bread distribution for residents.

The occupiers hunted for Yevheniia, forcing her into hiding. She frequently changed locations and even dyed her hair. She stayed in occupied Kherson for four months before finally deciding to escape. Once in Kyiv, Yevheniia immediately looked for ways to revive Kavun.City. The team began working on projects exposing local government operations and documenting russian war crimes.

On June 17, 2025, Yevheniia’s apartment was damaged during a russian missile attack on the capital. The blast wave shattered her windows and wounded her with glass shards. She suffered a mild concussion. Currently, Yevheniia and her family are staying with friends. Despite everything, Kavun.City continues to operate, with correspondents still reporting from Kherson.

You can connect with Yevheniia Virlych online or in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• women
• Kherson
• Kyiv

Kateryna serves as a communications officer in the 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Before russia’s expanded war against Ukraine, she had no ties to the military.

She met her partner online, he was already in uniform at the time. After a few in-person meetings, it became clear they wanted to build a future together, regardless of the circumstances. Although Kateryna began talking about enlisting as a way to be closer to him, he initially opposed the idea. But she made up her mind: it was time to join the Defense Forces.

Her father also decided to enlist. Both passed the military qualification commission and chose to serve with the 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard.

Kateryna completed the required training and took up her role as a communications specialist in one of the brigade’s units. Now, she often sees her beloved and allows herself to dream about the life they’ll share once the war is over.

Interviews with Kateryna can be arranged online or in person with prior coordination and approval from the brigade’s press officer.

• military
• women