Kira, commander of an observation platoon of the reconnaissance company of the 23rd Mechanized Brigade of the 20th Army Corps of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, at the age of 22 quit her job as a bartender and her studies and voluntarily signed a contract to defend Ukraine.

The interview with the defender was published on January 7 on the brigade’s channel.

“When I went to study to become an officer, they told me: ‘Girl, what are you doing here? Go home’”, — Kira recalls.

She also remembers her harrowing trips through Chasiv Yar under shelling — that was how she “celebrated” March 8. “A KAB hit and wiped out half a street”.

Later, the scout had to drive along that same street. Trees were falling, shells were exploding 10–15 meters away.

“The guys later told me: ‘We thought you wouldn’t survive.’ Because then I drove straight into hell. But thanks to God, I made it out, everything was fine”, — Kira concluded.

In simple words, Kira describes the realities of war and the resistance to her life choice — and shows by her own example that hardships can be endured and the path to Victory continued.