The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Twenty-one-year-old Iryna, callsign “Suieta”, serves as an operator of unmanned ground vehicles in the 91st Separate Anti-Tank Battalion.
She controls robots that deliver supplies, evacuate the wounded, and perform missions in places where it is already dangerous for people or vehicles to go.
Her story was told in a video published on the unit’s page.
Before service, Iryna studied to become a hairdresser-stylist and worked in her profession — creating hairstyles and working with clients. But after several months she realized she could not stay aside from the war.
“I worked for several months and realized that I cannot calmly sit at home. So I joined the military service”, — she says.
In the army, the girl became interested in a new field — unmanned ground robotic systems. After seeing how such machines perform combat, logistics, and evacuation missions, she decided to learn how to operate them.
Among the equipment Iryna works with is the Droid TW ground robot.
The operator’s main task is to guide the robotic complex to positions, deliver cargo or perform another mission, and return the machine to the starting point. After each mission the equipment must be inspected for damage.
One of her first missions Iryna remembers especially well — the evacuation of a wounded soldier.
“It was a combat mission — nine kilometers there and nine back. Our ground robot managed to reach him and save this soldier’s life”, — she recalls.
According to the servicewoman, the role of ground robots at the front is rapidly increasing. They are used for logistics, evacuation, and also combat missions.
“UGVs go where it is already dangerous for a vehicle to drive”, — Iryna explains.
She also notes that more women are appearing in units working with modern military technologies — from drones to ground robots.
“Women can perform tasks on the same level as men — whether it is FPV, UGVs, or ‘Mavics’”, — the operator says.
For Iryna, the main support remains her family. It is for the sake of her loved ones, she says, that she continues to serve.
To girls who are thinking about joining the military or working with new technologies, she advises not to wait for the perfect moment.
“You don’t have to be one hundred percent ready. You just need to be next to people who already know how and can teach you”, — the servicewoman says.
