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Woman Power, Delhi Magazine: A year ago today, a woman named Yulia was working as a teacher in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Her whole day was spent making plans for the children. Then one day Russia started the war by firing missiles on Ukraine. From that day Yulia’s life changed completely. Instead of sitting at home fearing Russian attacks, Yulia decided to face him.
Without any military training and experience, he decided to fight on the side of Ukraine. After reading the news of the Russian attack for several weeks, on February 23, she joined the group of Volunteers, which was prepared to face Russia on the battlefield. The next day of joining this squad i.e. on 24 February, Yulia was fighting in the biggest war in Europe after the Second World War.
How Yulia Becomes a War Fighter Lady from Ukraine
Russia was continuously attacking Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Yulia reached there to give the exam, taking the help of the subway built there. She did not know whether she would be able to clear the fitness test or not. But when Yulia reached for the test, she was not asked any question in the crowd of volunteers already present there. A rifle and 120 bullets to be fired from it were caught in his hand. Yulia became one of those people, thanks to whom the army of Ukraine has increased from 2 lakh 60 thousand to 1 million soldiers today.
In a recent interview, Yulia recalled the initial days when she was under stress due to the war. Yulia told that she had never heard the sound of gunfire before the war. Whenever there was a blast, he was afraid of dying. But slowly she learned how to become a soldier. His companion taught him how to load and fire the rifle. He learned how to fight and survive in the battlefield.
Single Lady at War place among 150 Men
Yulia was the only woman in a team of 150 volunteers fighting for nearly a week in Kiev. Who was fighting a battle by staying in the shopping mall along with her fellow male volunteers. He told that it was very cold and he had no provision of clothes. In such a situation, he had to sleep by sticking to other women volunteers to beat the cold. At the same time, when sleeping bags were received after some time, they were very happy.
Yulia tells that all the new recruits did not need training. Many of these soldiers had already been trained for fighting Russian separatists. There were many ex-service men there. Those who had joined the army again to protect their country.
Within weeks, Yulia and the rest of the troops together drove the Russian troops out of Kiev. After this, the government of Ukraine gave Yulia a chance to leave the war and do a desk or cook job, but Yulia turned down the offer. Overcoming her fears, Yulia decided to remain on the battlefield with her infantry. Like other inexperienced volunteers, Yulia learned how to spot explosive traps. How first aid is given in the battlefield.
As summer approached, Russian attacks on his unit began to intensify. During this, Yulia delivered weapons to the soldiers of Ukraine. Yulia said she decided to volunteer for the Ukrainian army after reading a history of Russian repression. In 2014, when the pro-Russian President of Ukraine was removed from power, Yulia came out of a village to the capital Kiev.
Yulia returns after expelling Russia from Kharkiv and Kherson
And gradually, when the Ukrainian army drove Russia out of Kharkiv and Kherson, Yulia also returned to Kiev. Now here she is living her life with her sister and her 4 year old daughter. Returning from the war, Yulia also went to her village to meet her mother. Her mother said, “When Russia attacked, I felt good thinking that I did not have a son who would go to war and die. I did not think that Yulia would go to war.
While Yulia said that when she was in the field, she used to feel very bad thinking about her mother. She also missed her boyfriend a lot. He told that he had kept some of his students’ letters and some books in the battlefield. Which she used to read to her fellow soldiers.
Yulia said that it was very difficult to go away from loved ones, but the country needed them. She says that her relationship with her boyfriend and students made her realize that there can be light even in darkness.