The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Nineteen-year-old Yevheniia from Ternopil region has joined the ranks of the 32nd Separate Mechanized Steel Brigade. She entered military service under the “Contract 18–24” program, making a conscious choice in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This was reported on the brigade’s page, which published the servicemember’s story.
From civilian life to drones
Before the full-scale war, Yevheniia’s life was ordinary, though not easy. In her teenage years, she lost her mother and since then had been under the care of her aunt. Later, she obtained a profession as a confectioner. Her family envisioned a peaceful future for her — a stable job, a family, a wedding.
A turning point came when her boyfriend, a serviceman, let her try piloting a drone.
“I flew it and realized — this is mine. I just want to do this”, — Yevheniia recalls.
After that, she began submitting applications to join the military. There were four in total — and it was a true joy for her to be accepted specifically into the Steel Brigade.
“You will have to accept it”
Yevheniia’s decision was not immediately accepted by her family. Her relatives dreamed of a different future for her, but the young woman clearly outlined her own position.
“My plans are about my future. If children are to live in a peaceful country, something has to be done for that”, — she says.
Yevheniia does not idealize war. She knows its price from the inside: her uncle has been fighting as an assault trooper since 2014, and over these years service has almost completely displaced his normal family life.
Readiness to be useful
Despite this, her motivation has only grown stronger. Yevheniia emphasizes that she joined the military consciously and does not intend to be “passive”.
“I joined the military knowingly, I knew I wouldn’t just sit here. I want to be useful. I feel very sorry for the guys at the front. I really want to help them. And those men who hide from the draft, I would punish mercilessly with my own hands”, — the servicemember says.
Currently, the young woman is undergoing training and preparing to master the profession of a UAV operator. She is determined and does not hide her ambitions.
“I will not give up. I want to achieve success so that people are proud of me and so that the commander says: I did a good job”.
Yevheniia’s story is an example of how youth in wartime ceases to be about naivety and becomes about responsibility, choice, and action.
