Themes by tag: women

Olha was an operating room nurse at the Department of Surgery in Hospital No. 555 in Mariupol. Russia’s full-scale invasion caught her while in Mariupol: she was helping to rescue wounded soldiers and civilians (including children). At that time, the medics did not even have time to sleep.

The enemy bomb hit the hospital on March 16, 2022. (The woman was in the operating room at the moment of the attack. The blast wave blew away her and her colleagues). The next day, the nurse was sent to the Ilich Iron and Steel Works together with other doctors. Under extremely tough conditions, in a bunker, they had to do, among other things, bandages and amputations, and doctors even performed open brain neurosurgery.

On April 12, 2022, the nurse and other doctors were taken prisoner. Olha was held in occupied Olenivka, Russian Taganrog, Valuiky, and Kursk, among other places. She was held in captivity for six months. The woman faced humiliation, interrogations, physical and psychological pressure.

For reference, more than 500 Ukrainian medical professionals are currently detained in Russia. Among them are both civilian and military doctors, according to the Center for Civil Liberties. Journalists can also ask for comments from the Center’s experts.

• doctors
• prisoners
• women

On August 23, at a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform, wives of Ukrainian captured border guards will tell the stories of their husbands. Journalists will also be able to learn about the struggle that the wives of prisoners are waging to bring their loved ones home. 

Participants:

Yaryna Herasymova, wife of a captured border guard;

Anzhela Zvereva, wife of a POW border guard;

Svitlana Shakirova, wife of a POW border guard;

Svitlana Polishchuk, wife of a POW border guard.

• military
• prisoners
• women

Kateryna is from Alchevsk, Luhansk region, she had to leave the occupied town back in 2014. There she had a mushroom growing business.

The woman moved to Lviv region, where she decided to start a new business. At first, it was a goat breeding farm, which later turned into an agricultural cooperative. Nowadays, craft cheeses are produced there following authentic and original recipes.At the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, Kateryna created “Roof over your Head” shelter for displaced people in Lviv region. Dozens of IDPs stayed in the free housing, and now 16 displaced persons live there. (These are, in particular, people from Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions).

• casualties
• women
• Lviv

Serhii Karnaukhov first joined the defense of Ukraine in 2014: he fought at the Donetsk airport, and later served in the east of Ukraine. Alina and Serhii met during the war: the woman came to the front as a volunteer. They later married, and when Serhii’s contract expired, he returned to civilian life. However, for a short time, with the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, the man took up arms again. And in May 2022, Serhii Karnaukhov died. Alina joined the army to continue what her husband started. However, with her disability, the woman wasn’t allowed to fight at the front itself: she became a military financier and founded “Zhyva” NGO, which supports women who lost their loved ones in the war.

Important notice: Alina Karnaukhova is ready to speak to journalists online and, by prior arrangement, to meet in Dnipro in person.

• dead
• military
• women

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo is 46 years old. She is an American journalist and transgender woman. Sarah came to Ukraine at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion. In March 2022, she covered the topic of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, and later joined the territorial defense forces of Ukraine and became a combat medic. At the same time, Sarah continued to write reports for foreign media about enemy shelling. In 2023, the woman was injured, and soon after she received an invitation to join the public relations team of the Territorial Defense Forces. Sarah Ashton-Cirillo’s new position has sparked a lot of discussion. However, this did not affect Sarah’s motivation to serve in the Armed Forces.

• doctors
• military
• women
• LGBT

Larysa Bozhenko, the starosta (headman) of Orlove village in the Kherson region, lived under Russia control for three weeks. After her village was liberated from the invaders, she was offered to join the army ranks. Larysa decided that if serving as a cook, she would be able to repay the Ukrainian defenders for liberating her home from the enemy.

In addition, the 7th Arei Battalion was being formed at that time, and it has now become Larysa’s second family. One of Larysa’s brothers serves in the Arei. Another brother is now on the front line in another battalion. Every day, about 400 military members expect Larysa to prepare food for them.

Larysa is ready to give interviews to journalists at her place of service in the Donetsk region. You can also talk to her online.

• food
• military
• occupation
• women

Mariana Mamonova, 31, is a doctor, Armed Forces of Ukraine Medical Service Captain who has been traveling to the ATO/JFO area since 2018.

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she served in Mariupol. In mid-March, she found out that she was bearing a child. Despite pregnancy, she continued to save the lives of others. Later, together with her colleagues and dozens of civilians, she was at the Illich Steel and Iron Works. She was captured by the occupiers on April 4. The pregnant woman spent six months in the Olenivka colony. On September 21, she was set free. Four days after the exchange, she gave birth to a daughter.

For reference: more than 500 Ukrainian doctors are currently being forcibly detained across Russia. There are both civilian and military doctors among them, according to the Center for Civil Liberties. Journalists can also ask for the Center’s experts’ comments.

• doctors
• military
• prisoners
• women

Alisa Shramko took her first first-aid training back in 2018. It was a Hospitallers volunteer medical battalion course. Together with Hospitallers, Alisa went on her first deployment. Later, she became a combat medic instructor for new medics and recruit soilders.

When Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, Alisa was pregnant with her second child. The woman says that the pregnancy was challenging, but despite the difficulties, Alisa escaped from the hospital to conduct first aid training. The paramedic kept taking lessons until she gave birth. After the baby was born, she signed an enlistment contract with the Fastiv First Aid Station, started serving in the capital, and took up the position of a medical corps instructor. Now she often takes her children with her to hold training for newcomers. As a civilian, Alisa works at the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life in the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

• culture
• doctors
• military
• women

When russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014, Halyna Klempouz was still a student. The girl started actively volunteering. In 2016, Halyna decided to become a military officer, the girl held various positions in the army and ended up in air reconnaissance. A year later, Halyna was demobilized, her father died and the girl had to stay at home to take care of her mother. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the veteran wanted to mobilize, but Halyna’s boyfriend, who was defending Mariupol, made her promise that the girl would stay in the rear until he returned home. Halyna’s beloved was captured by the russians along with other defenders of Azovstal. Thus, Halyna’s struggle for Ukraine turned into a struggle for Ukrainian prisoners. Currently, the veteran works as a spokesperson at the Association of Azovstal Defenders’ Families.

• military
• prisoners
• women

Veteran paramedic Yuliia “Kuba” has been rescuing the wounded in the hottest spots of the front since 2014. After retiring from the service in 2019, she started working in fashion design and participated in Ukrainian Fashion Week. After the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, the veteran returned into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to save lives. While still being at the front, the woman joined the creation of a clothing brand called Cubitus Dei, which is produced in the VETERANKA workshop. Recently, a charity collection of this brand – “Fire of Liberty” – was presented in France. Anyone can buy the first accessories from the collection – “Kolos” brooches. The money from the sale will go to the rehabilitation of wounded servicewomen, who are cared for by the Veteranka foundation.

Volunteers of the VETERANKA shop, led by designer of famous Ukrainian brands Hanna Suvorkina and Ukrainian designer Stanislav Bitus, also worked on the creation of the “Fire of Liberty” charity collection. During the full-scale invasion, Stanislav changed his line of work and began producing women’s military uniforms instead of fashionable dresses, became Head of “VETERANKA” workshop, and after the presentation of the collection, joined the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine.

• doctors
• military
• women