Valentina is a veterinarian by profession. But for three months, the 51-year-old woman has been with the “Witches from Bucha“ - a volunteer unit that watches for Russian drones in the sky above Bucha, writes ARD. In a wooded area outside the city, she practices shooting drones and shooting them down. And because she is always steadfast and acts with a firm hand, her comrades-in-arms have given her the fighting name “Valkyrie”, the German publication points out. In front of his reporter, Valentina says that she will be very happy if she manages to shoot at least one drone out of the sky. Then the hard training will have been worth the effort, adds the volunteer.
At the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, Valentina survived the bombing and subsequent massacre in Bucha, hiding for many days with friends, relatives and in basements. Then the Russians shot civilians, including women and children, in the streets of the city. In one of the shelters, Valentina witnesses the Russian army bombing a nearby airport and says that the memory of the shelling of Irpin and Bucha will never leave her. Three weeks later, she managed to leave the city together with seven other people in a car.
Crimes in Bucha make her join the defense
The Bucha massacre became a symbol of the war crimes committed by the Russians in Ukraine. And for Valentina, it becomes a reason to join the fight of the voluntary women's unit. Before that, she was tormented by a feeling of helplessness, until she realized that she could not remain idle and began to exercise. “I never wanted to feel so helpless again,” she says.
The Russian army constantly uses drones against Ukrainian cities, notes ARD and quotes President Zelensky, who says that last week alone, their number was over 300. “They come almost silently, even the birds can still be heard“ , says instructor Andriy Verlatti. But every night “The Witches of Bucha“ shoot down Russian and Iranian "Shaheed" drones from the sky, he adds proudly.
A variety of women sign up to participate in the voluntary group: those with many children or single, old and young, women with well-paid jobs, including those with their own businesses. They all want to join the voluntary air defense. Some women are more motivated than men, explains Colonel Verlatti to ARD.
Drone shooting is becoming increasingly important
It has long been known that training is difficult, but very good. “The Witches” are not part of the army. As a volunteer unit, they are subordinate to the regional government, he explains. Shooting down Russian and Iranian drones is becoming increasingly important. Women perform only a fraction of the combat tasks that men undertake during wartime, but their role is also becoming increasingly important. They also want to take responsibility.
After completing her studies, Valentina will serve two or three days a week in order to have time to care for her youngest son, who is eleven years old. Real estate broker Irina also wants to keep her usual profession. That's exactly why she got involved in the defense of the city: “We have to destroy these drones if we don't want them to destroy us,” she told the German publication. Her new task has long since become an integral part of her life.
During the training, the women learn everything about these drones from the instructors. They also receive basic military training, which includes handling weapons, including disassembly and cleaning, urban warfare, and more.
Others enlist in the army
Valentina says that ever since she became aware of the danger posed by drones, she rarely sleeps well at night. "My cell phone is always next to my pillow," she says. In the meantime, she has also started studying emergency medicine. Other women in her class signed up for military service in the army. One of them is now a platoon leader in an assault battalion. Another is currently training to become an officer and will eventually lead a team servicing missile launchers.
Valentina believes that the war will last a long time and that the suburbs of Kiev have long since become a front line. Therefore, they must now be protected - just as men protect other parts of Ukraine.