"It is important to protect home now": story of Ukrainian combat medic Madeleine

The 104th Brigade of the Special Forces tells Espreso about Madeleine.

Maryna is from Kramatorsk in Donetsk region, so she knows firsthand what it is like to live under occupation, as in 2014, the Russians captured her hometown. Therefore, to prevent a repeat during a full-scale invasion, she volunteered to serve in the Ukrainian army.

"I knew very well that there was a shortage of medics. My civilian specialty is paramedic, and I worked with seriously ill people. When the full-scale war started, I had two seriously ill patients in my care. One grandmother was evacuated, but the other, unfortunately, died from her illness. Since then, my hands have, so to speak, become free," the soldier recalls.

After signing the contract, Maryna was assigned to the 61st Battalion of the 104th Brigade, where she rose from the position of platoon medic to senior company medic. It was here that she received her call sign, Madeleine.

"When I first joined the company and we were introduced to the unit, the commander said that these girls deserve to be honored, at least because they came here on their own. The guys treat us very well and respect us. Even during the combat mission, we constantly felt cared for," the medic says.

However, her first combat mission brought Madeleine serious challenges and injuries. During an enemy assault, a bullet ricocheted into her leg: "I had my first wounded, and I was wounded at the same time. But, to my surprise, I was very focused and did everything according to a clear algorithm, even though I was working blindly."

The hardest part, she says, was overcoming her fear during the first mission. But it's crucial to pull yourself together and turn that fear into something useful. Fear helps mobilize those internal resources that people often don’t even know they have.

She is convinced that feeling afraid is normal. Many men are currently afraid to serve, but it is vital to overcome this fear.

"War is truly scary. We are all scared. But the question is, when the war comes to these men's homes, it will be scarier than when they can influence something themselves. The enemy did not come here to sit with us at the festive table and celebrate; they came with weapons. When they approach us with weapons, nothing good will happen. It’s important to defend our home now," says Madeleine, emphasizing that there are many women in the army, as numerous girls volunteer. "We are not just medics. There are girls who are tankers, grenade launchers, and drone operators. If we can do this work, why can't a healthy man do it?"

From her personal experience, she believes anyone can be taught. The main thing is to have the desire and motivation. She mentions that whenever possible, people are willingly sent to various professional courses, advanced training, and leadership programs.