Yordana, callsign Jane, was 19 when she signed up to defend Ukraine. “My hand and heart belong to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” says the young woman who fought in Bakhmut and Kherson

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1. Excerpts from her interview:

   Yordana signed up on the second day of the full-scale invasion, but only because she waited for her older brother so they would go together.

   Yordana says: I was asked a hundred times: Are you sure you want to serve? Yes, I was sure. People didn’t understand why a young girl would want to go to war. For me, everything was decided a very, very long time ago because my brother served, my father served, my grandfather served. […] And I came to protect my loved ones, my family, because I have a very large family that I love very much. And I am willing to sacrifice myself for my family, for other people.

   At first, Yordana served as a medic and a rifle-person. But now she flies drones. She prefers the kamikaze ones over the reconnaissance as the result is “more interesting”, according to her.

   She participated in battles for Bakhmut and Kherson. She says Bakhmut was very tough. Yordana says: It was very cold. It was hard because you didn’t always know where the enemy was. For instance, he could be in front of you, and ten minutes later he could be approaching from the right flank. It was tough when we were in the same position as the enemy. Every five minutes, there was a risk of being captured or killed.

   Yordana also wants for people to remember that russian people are actively killing and raping Ukrainians for the past 10 years and – “I don’t understand how someone can’t realize that this is the enemy, not a friend. They came here to loot, destroy, and kill. My family and my little brothers give me strength. That’s what really empowers me because when you look at videos or photos, you remember why you are here. You are here so that future generations can live in peace and tranquility. My younger brother is 16 years old, and I don’t want him to see what I have seen. We need to finish this fight, and then we can rest, cry, and even fall into depression if we feel like it. But by then, I believe there will be far fewer reasons for depression because people will stop dying.

   [https://suspilne.media/lutsk/722364-ruka-i-serce-nalezat-zsu-bijcina-jordana-z-lucka-rozpovila-pro-sluzbu-v-aerorozvidci/](https://suspilne.media/lutsk/722364-ruka-i-serce-nalezat-zsu-bijcina-jordana-z-lucka-rozpovila-pro-sluzbu-v-aerorozvidci/)

2. Balls of Ukrainium

3. Legend!

   She knows what she is fighting for and willing to put it all on the line. Inspiring