Unbreakable: Ukrainian Mother Fights for Her Children’s Future on the Front Line
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine – The setting sun paints the Zaporizhzhia countryside in a warm orange glow as Nezlamna opens the doors to a dilapidated shanty. Hidden under vines and camouflage nets, this crumbling property is now the refuge for several Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the southern front line. Among them stands Nezlamna, a mother of three.
“I last saw them in April,” Nezlamna says, as she acknowledges the difficulties distance brings to their relationship. “I even try to call less, so I don’t get angry. And so they don’t get angry.”
Nezlamna, aptly named which means “unbreakable” in Ukrainian, is one of the many brave women who have enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces to defend their homeland against the invading Russian army. For her, military service began long before the full-scale invasion of Russia.
Enlisting in 2016, after the illegal annexation of Crimea by Moscow in 2014, Nezlamna has been at the forefront of battling Russian-backed separatists and forces ever since. Currently leading a reconnaissance unit on the southern front line, Nezlamna fights not only for her country but for the future of her children, for their right to live in a prosperous Ukraine.
“Their task will be much more difficult: they will have to rebuild the country and put it back on its feet. And that is much more difficult than recovering the borders,” she expresses.
While the task may not be as challenging as rebuilding Ukraine, expelling Russia means risking one’s life every day. Nezlamna, however, remains unfazed. “I think I’ve seen almost everything in my life, hardly anything can surprise me in combat. Yes, of course, there is a risk, there is a constant risk,” she states nonchalantly.
Bombings and self-destructing drones are only some of the dangers that soldiers face, with the stark reality that life can be taken away in an instant. “No one is immune to when exactly they will die,” she adds.
Yet, the fear of leaving her children behind weighs heavily on Nezlamna. “Fear is always present,” she admits. “Somehow I manage to control it, even though I understand that this is war, and that not all of us will return home alive.”
Back home, this terrifying possibility fuels intense discussions. “They still sometimes get offended because I’m not with them, when they need a father. However, they understand that someone has to do what I’m doing,” Nezlamna shares.
Her husband, a soldier in an artillery unit, serves as her main ally. “We have our own family values, the same points of view, the same direction,” she says. “We have been working alongside each other since 2016.”
Despite the dangers and the yearning for a normal and stable life near her children, Nezlamna remains pragmatic. “It’s not on the horizon,” she remarks.
Russia possesses a formidable army, and although Nezlamna and her fellow soldiers continue to gain ground, it will be a long time before Moscow completely withdraws from Ukraine. “Centimeter by centimeter, we are recovering our land. The main thing is that we have more patience and courage to continue,” she concludes.
As Nezlamna fights for her children’s future on the front line, her unwavering determination and resilience serve as a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people in their battle for sovereignty and hope.