The full-scale war in Ukraine has become a powerful new factor that shatters gender stereotypes. It has highlighted that women serve in the Defense Forces, perform combat and non-combat tasks, combine military experience with motherhood, go through losses, and return to civilian life.
UNN spoke with veteran, journalist, and activist Anastasia Blyshchyk about women in war, joys and losses, death and love, pregnancy and motherhood, and reintegration into civilian society.
Anastasia Blyshchyk is a Ukrainian journalist and servicewoman. She served in the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, and at the end of 2024, she announced her transfer to another brigade. In the spring of 2022, she lost her beloved — her fiancé, journalist and serviceman Oleksandr Makhov, who died at the front. Anastasia dedicated the documentary film "Journalist" to his memory, created based on Makhov's personal video archive.
In 2022, the Italian publication Il Foglio named Anastasia Blyshchyk "Person of the Year." In addition, she is a member of the Women's Veteran Movement.
Currently, Blyshchyk has returned to civilian life and devotes much attention to raising her son, whom she gave birth to in 2025.
About the decision to go to the front line
Anastasia herself says that thoughts of serving appeared even before the full-scale invasion, but the final decision was formed in 2022.
For her, this decision was not impulsive. It was influenced by personal losses, loss of home, occupation, which her parents went through, and a general understanding that the war had come for a long time.
I was mentally preparing myself for this (serving, – ed.) even before the full-scale war. But when everything started... It was my personal loss, and, in particular, it was also the loss of my home; my parents, who spent half a year under occupation and barely escaped from that captivity to the controlled territory. This became the impetus for me to definitely pack my bags, prepare mentally, and join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which I did in August 2022.
The family supported the woman's decision to join the Armed Forces, although her relatives – parents and sister – found out about it post-factum, when Anastasia had completed her training at the training center and left for her duty station.
"When my parents left the occupation, I created a chat with my parents, where I added my parents, sister, and husband. I said that I couldn't do otherwise, that I asked them to accept my choice, not to be angry, but to support me, because this decision is mine, and it cannot be changed," Anastasia explains.
About training and service
The military woman recalls how her adaptation to the army took place.
"In that training center where we were, I remember, there were different people (in different emotional states - ed.) and they walked around with weapons at that time. I understood that the main thing for me was to get the most out of this training center and stay alive, so that, God forbid, nothing would happen to me here," Blyshchyk shares her memories.
Another fear of the girl concerned the possibility that the Russians might strike the training center with missiles, and she risked dying without even reaching the front line.
I remember there were 6-7 alarms a night, and you had to leave the barracks and go somewhere outside. I remember we waited outside (the training center, – ed.) to wait out the alarm, or we went into (the trenches, – ed.). And I was afraid that something would hit, and I would die before even reaching the front.
Then there was adaptation in the military unit, new people, new routes, new rules, weapons, equipment, military terminology, logistical difficulties, and a constant awareness of danger.
You had to accept that your life was no longer the same. That is, you couldn't just get up and go somewhere you wanted, or go and eat something delicious. Back then, in 2022, there was no proper logistics, no proper food, well, those were not very pleasant memories, of course.
At the same time, Anastasia's experience also shows another important thing: women in the military do not exist in a sterile environment. She directly states that she met various comrades on her path: most supported her, but there were also those who could cause trouble or unpleasantness. However, the military woman says that there was much more support, and all the unpleasantness from individual people was obviously a consequence of their personal traumas. Anastasia does not reduce her own experience at the front only to conflicts or discrimination.
About motherhood
The topic of pregnancy and motherhood during wartime deserves special attention.
In the conversation, Anastasia explains that a pregnant woman can be discharged from service immediately after providing a certificate, but for herself, having become pregnant, she decided otherwise. She remained in service as long as she could physically perform her duties, and emphasizes that it was her own decision. In addition, in a difficult choice, the woman was supported by her beloved husband and the father of her future child, whom she met already in the "great war."
Of course, he was also worried about me, about little Myronchyk, who was in my belly at that moment. But we were together. And that's the best thing that can happen. That is, it's worse now, when he is at war, and I am far from him with Myronchyk. That is, it's much harder.
Therefore, Blyshchyk continued to perform combat tasks in Donetsk region until it was time to pack for the maternity hospital. For some time, the military woman even thought of giving birth in Donetsk region and then living there, combining childcare with service. But at the last moment, she realized that this scenario was too difficult and risky for a newborn.
But even outside the front, Anastasia felt lonely and uncomfortable for some time. Only the birth of her son Myron helped her cope with these feelings.
When the child was born, many other tasks appeared, not combat, not service, but maternal, and the child distracted me very much.
The military woman is convinced: giving birth during wartime is a huge responsibility.
Every Ukrainian must understand that giving birth to a child is not just that, it is a huge responsibility, because we must raise a worthy generation of our country that will never make the mistakes that our parents and grandparents made. That is, this generation must be intelligent, conscious, and we must work to ensure that they do not make mistakes.
The veteran speaks frankly: after service, women's problems do not end. And this is another important part of the conversation about the role of Ukrainian women in the war. In the media space, people are used to talking about mobilization, the front, combat missions, but much less often about returning home.
Anastasia puts it honestly:
"When they ask me what's harder, returning to civilian life or motherhood, I say, unequivocally, returning to civilian life."
About returning
The decision to end her service in the combat zone was not easy for Anastasia Blyshchyk. Despite her professionalism and deep motivation, at some point the veteran felt that her physical and mental resources were dwindling. And there was also a feeling that life was simply passing her by.
I saw that my colleagues, my friends... they were living, they were developing, they were simply reading books, attending some courses, they were working, they were earning, they were creating their families. And at some point, I realized that life was just passing me by. That is, I gave three years of my life to the war.
Anastasia clarifies: she joined the army at 23 and served until she was 26.
And then I left the army because I decided – that's enough. I don't want these years (of life, – ed.) to pass me by. Of course, I'm very sorry that not everyone has such an opportunity... But, nevertheless, I made a decision. I realized that I wanted a family, I wanted a child. Then I realized it. I am very happy, very glad that I have a child.
But demobilization does not end with a woman taking off her military uniform and leaving it in the closet. In addition, she needs to learn to live again in a society that has changed during the time she spent at the front. This includes new prices, new habits, a sense of distance from people who lived a different life, and even everyday things like clothes.
"For example, I didn't have any clothes," says the veteran, "it's clear that I had some military clothes. And I still had the ones I wore before the army. But when I arrived, I realized that I had nothing to wear to go out. Now I've bought some jeans, a suit. I started paying attention to what people wear on the street."
Anastasia experienced difficulties with reintegration into society even when she needed to go to the store for groceries.
Even simply the prices of products in 2022. When I went (to the army, – ed.), they were completely different. Now it's just space. These seem like trifles, but everyone observed the price increase for products gradually. And for me, in 2022, a tomato triangle cost 8-10 hryvnias, now it costs about 30 hryvnias. I think, wow, what a difference.
About mental health and emotional state
Another fundamental topic that the veteran raises in conversation with UNN is the psychological state after service.
In particular, in civilian life, the military woman began to be troubled by fears that she did not have at the front.
This fear, which should have been working when I was there (on the line of combat contact, – ed.), only starts working now. It's catching up with me.
This is important evidence of how the experience of war works. During service, a person often acts in a state of composure, and the true reaction can catch up only after returning. In the case of women, this is often compounded by motherhood, everyday life, the need to rebuild life anew, caring for a child, and anxiety for loved ones who remain at the front.
The military woman is convinced that she will also be able to cope with this challenge on her own. But, if something goes wrong, the woman is open to external help and ready to seek it.
There are now many different organizations that provide free psychological support to veterans. And if necessary, you should contact them.
About shared sisterly experience and common problems of women in the military
It is interesting that in assessing the current problems of women in the military, Anastasia emphasizes not the differences, but the commonality of experience. She recalls that in 2022-2023, she talked a lot about sexism, harassment, and the lack of women's uniforms, but now she formulates the range of problems differently.
Now I will say that everything has changed. And in fact, now the challenges for women are the same as for men. That is, women also want to go home, women are also waiting for such terms of service, when there will be demobilization.
She recalls comrades who served since 2022 and died later, after years of war. She is convinced that without clear terms of service, without demobilization and normal rotations, people become physically and psychologically exhausted, and this directly affects their chances of survival.
"The longer you serve, the fewer chances you have," the veteran summarizes.
Anastasia does not hide: she is glad that she returned from the front alive:
"I know that we live in a country where everything is constantly flying everywhere, and we don't know what will happen tomorrow. But only now, I think, do I realize how lucky I am."