She returned to the hell of war, haunted by the life she couldn’t save. A vehicle of the chief military nurse of the Ukrainian 95th Air Assault Brigade’s medical company, Nataliia Vysotska, was hit on a mine, while evacuating a wounded soldier from the front line. 

Only two of the four crew members survived in the blast. Nataliia suffered severe injuries: fractures to her pelvis, leg, and spine. She was classified with a second-degree disability. However, she went back to the front.

“I still remember—we didn’t make it to that wounded soldier… Every mission is a trial,” Nataliia recalls.

Return as a challenge of fate

It wasn’t her first wound. In 2022, she had already sustained shrapnel injuries to her stomach and leg during a shelling, and quickly returned to duty. But the mine explosion proved especially devastating, physically and emotionally. Treatment, rehabilitation, the loss of comrades, and the feeling of unfinished duty. Through it all, one thought kept her going: to return.

“At war, there’s no time to recover after losing a brother-in-arms… You must hold yourself together to remain a professional,” she says.

Unbroken spirit

Recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Nataliia Vysotska the Order of Princess Olga, 3rd Class, an honor recognizing strength, resilience, motivation, and loyalty. But for her, the most important thing is being by her comrades’ side.

“Maybe life has more trials ahead, but I’ll stay as long as I can be of use… When our team manages to save a soldier’s life, that’s what matters. That’s our victory!” she adds.

Earlier, the Ukrainian forces reported that a hundred women who served prison sentences had already joined the ranks of the army. They now fight alongside men, both on the frontlines and in communications, logistics, and medical units. Upon completion of their military service, the court will reconsider their case, and the service may be taken into account as a mitigating factor during sentencing.