Daryna, a 21-year-old from Ternopil, serves in the artillery of the 128th Heavy Mechanized Brigade “Wild Field”.

Her story was published on the brigade’s official page.

Daryna is a graduate of the National Army Academy. She decided she wanted to become a soldier while still in school. The only question left was where to study. She chose Lviv — and artillery.

“There were only six girls in my class. But by 2022, some classes already had dozens of women — 40, even 60.

Russia’s full-scale invasion fundamentally changed the life plans of many people”, — Daryna said.

She recalls that when she first told her parents about her decision to pursue a military career, they tried for a long time to talk her out of it, offering every argument they could think of.

But the Russian invasion changed their perspective as well.

Her father also joined the military, serving in Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces. Today, his unit is defending positions in the Sumy region.

“When my father realized that I was completely serious, he gave me what was probably the most valuable piece of advice of my life: if you’ve set your mind on something, go all the way — never give up”, — Daryna recalled.