Themes by tag: women

A soldier assigned the call sign ‘Amazon’ woman warrior has dreamed of the army since childhood. She knew she would serve and defend her country. She couldn’t enter a higher education for the military, so she got into law school and then mobilized. When Amazon was still a private soldier, she was entrusted with the control of a Soviet self-propelled artillery system. Later, the girl got admitted to a military university on the second try and eventually earned an officer’s degree. At the same time, Amazon was appointed as the US-made M777 gun crew commander. The girl acquired the skills to manage the crew in a few days, she can load the gun and fire artillery pieces targeting the enemy on her own. The girl wanted her army nickname to be ‘Daisy’, but her commander assigned the name ‘Amazon’. 

For reference: The soldier is on the front line, ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• military
• women

Nataliia Shevchuk and her son went to the military enlistment office to join the Ukrainian Defense Forces on February 25, 2022, on her birthday. Nataliia used to be a film producer as a civilian employee, so she had many drone pilots as colleagues. In the first days of the invasion, she called on them to create an aerial reconnaissance unit together. At first, Nataliia’s unit comprised only 8 pilots, but later it numbered 28. The soldier says that the group is a big family, where she is called “Mom.” Nataliia’s son also served as a military intelligence officer but in a different unit. The defender dreams of expelling the enemy from Ukrainian territory and starting to rebuild the country after the full-blown war. 

For reference: Nataliia Shevchuk is on the front line, ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• military
• women

Valentyna Tkach is a third-generation weaver. Her mother was taught this craft by her grandfather, and her mother taught Valentyna herself.

When the full-blown began, Valentyna’s son was mobilized. Later, he asked his mother to raise money for a military vehicle. The woman chose her best products and started selling them on social media. The car was purchased very quickly. Valentyna decided that her carpets could help buy necessary things for Ukrainian defenders. So she continued to put her work up for sale and donate the proceeds to the army. Now the weaver is working on raising money for a thermal imaging drone.

• culture
• military
• volunteers
• women

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Olena Yuzvak has been under occupation. Despite the Russians taking over Hostomel, the doctor stayed and continued to work and help people. Olena distributed medicine and took care of the wounded until the occupiers took her prisoner. The doctor was imprisoned for a day, and 10 days later, the Ukrainian forces retake control of Hostomel. Olena immediately went back to work and tackled to restore the medical facilities she managed. One of them was located in the village of Moshchun in the Kyiv Oblast and was destroyed by a direct shell hit. Thanks to the support of international funds, Olena managed to build a new Health Center and turn it to be an energy-independent Point of Invincibility. Now the doctor continues to work toward the restoration of medical facilities. 

• doctors
• occupation
• prisoners
• reconstruction
• women
• Kyiv

Iryna joined the Maidan self-defense and patrolled the streets of Kyiv during the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Later, she started going to the East of Ukraine to deliver equipment to Ukrainian defenders. Iryna underwent training and became the second in command of a sniper team at a time. However, she did not join the army back then, and a few years later she left for abroad. She met the all-out invasion while in Bali. At the time, she did not have a passport, as she had handed it to the embassy for reissue. However, she decided that she had to return to her homeland by any means necessary. She was offered deportation and agreed. On the third day of the full-blown war, she was already in Ukraine and joined the 72nd p Black Cossacks Brigade as a sniper.

Now Iryna is on the front line and is ready to talk to the media with command prior approval.

• military
• women

Yana Biletska engaged in volunteer work in hospices back in 2011, long before the full-blown war began. Later, she founded the NGO Healthy Nation – Future of Ukraine. When the great war broke out, Yana never had any intention of leaving Kharkiv. She knew she could be useful in the city. Together with a team of like-minded people, Yana founded the Hub Vokzal volunteer association, which began delivering humanitarian aid to the residents of Slobozhanshchyna. During the year and a half of the enemy invasion, the association took care of 22 communities in the Kharkiv region, each numbering thousands of people, both locals and IDPs.

• volunteers
• women

Vita Harasymchuk, 31, is an accountant by profession. She is the wife of a serviceman who made his dream come true and opened a gym in Lviv region. Vita’s husband is a military man who took part in the anti-terrorist operation. And since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, he has been protecting Ukraine in the hottest spots. The woman was able to open a gym at the end of last year.

Among other things, yoga, tabata, fitness, and modern dance classes are held in the gym. Classes with a trainer, a rehabilitator and massage services are also available there. Vita is gradually expanding her own business, because the plans are to make the gym a place for the rehabilitation of Ukrainian servicemen. And also — to get teenagers involved in sports.

• military
• women
• Lviv

An apartment in the city center and her own successful business — pet grooming salons. Yevheniia Zhyhulina had had all of it in Donetsk, until russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014. Then Yevheniia and her family were forced to leave their hometown. Odesa became a second home for Yevheniia’s family. When the full-scale invasion began, Yevheniia and her husband decided that they would not run away again. And despite the bug war, the woman began to think about starting her own business again. With the help of a state grant, in February 2023, the doors of Yevheniia Zhyhulina’s grooming salon opened in Odesa. The entrepreneur dreams that she will be able to create a whole network of salons for dogs throughout Ukraine, in particular, in Donetsk, Ukraine.

• animals
• casualties
• women
• Odesa

Yevheniia Molchanova and her husband founded the family farm “Green Grove” in Dnipropetrovsk region. With the beginning of the big war, Yevheniia opened their farm for those fleeing from shelling: she took in displaced people and animals rescued from hot spots. “Green Grove” became a shelter for a total of 311 people fleeing from the war with their pets. More than 1,500 animals in need of evacuation, treatment and rehabilitation also received help at the farm. Some of them include: donkeys, horses, pigs and sheep. Animals were brought from the hottest spots, in particular, Mariupol and Bakhmut.

Over time, the farm was reformatted into a rehabilitation center. Nowadays, families of fallen servicemen and children with disabilities come here. Psychologists work on the territory, and people can undergo treatment via equine- and dog- assisted therapy programs.

• animals
• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• women
• Dnipro

Maria Nazarova was 17 when the Revolution of Dignity broke out in Kyiv. At Euromaidan, Maria arranged medical aid stations and took care of the injured. Later, she began translating foreign protocols on tactical medicine, with regard to the Soviet medical guidelines’ lack of credibility. In 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Maria worked as a frontline medic. In 2015, the combat medic taught tactical medicine to law enforcement officers, and a year later, she began to reform tactical medicine in the Armed Forces at the General Staff. 

Also, thanks to her efforts, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been installed at every metro station in Kyiv, 9 of them have already proven to be lifesaving during resuscitation measures.

With the start of the all-out invasion, Maria returned to tactical medicine training at the Defense Forces.

• doctors
• military
• women