A female Marine with the call sign “North” spoke about the SVO: she saved a dozen soldiers

Blue-eyed fighter

“North”, at first glance, is the most ordinary young woman: blue-eyed, with a light brown braid and a charming smile, which, however, she does not use often. The only thing that gives her away as a fighter is her military bearing: collected, concentrated, solid, taciturn. Such female images are often found in Soviet films about the Great Patriotic War. And now, in the editorial cafe, it’s as if the image of “that” time has come to life.

– A woman at the front is still not an uncommon phenomenon. How did you end up there?

– Until 2014, my life was in no way connected with military service. I was a professional boxer. When the events of 2014 began in Donbass, I could not stand aside and turn a blind eye to what was happening. The genocide of the population of Donbass was obvious and I, like many others, went there as a volunteer. Next was service in one of the units of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

– What were the specifics of the tasks then? After all, you had no military experience, despite good sports training?

– In addition to sports training, I was also a very good shooter. I was lucky, when I was at school, in the basement of a neighboring house, there was a shooting range in which I and my “melkashka” (small-caliber weapons for hunting. – “MK”) made more and more changes. This skill was very useful to me. Having completed training in Donbass, I began performing tasks as part of my unit.

– What were your first impressions of the events in Donbass in 2014?

– No matter who you are – a man or a woman – you perceive the war due to your psycho-emotional state. Some people can control themselves, others cannot. Of course, no one wants war. But at a certain moment you suddenly understand: in order to have the right to be called the grandson of your grandfather, in order to honor your history, speak your language, in order to defend the right to life for yourself and your children, you need to take up arms. Sometimes war is inevitable, but it is impossible to want it. Therefore, you just need to do your job and be happy that people in the rear can simply live a peaceful life, raise children, go to a cafe…

– Can a woman get used to a combat situation?

– Yes. I got used to it right away. You know, being there is still easier than waiting for a loved one from the front. Many people are doomed to this today – mothers, sisters, wives of my comrades. Waiting is much harder than acting; waiting takes a lot of health and moral strength. Patience to all of them and, God grant, that everyone returns victorious, safe and sound.

– How much time did you end up spending in Donbass?

– Returned home in 2018. After returning, I was engaged in civilian work, but I understood that the army was still calling me. In 2020, it entered into a contract with the Ministry of Defense. I joined the Marine Corps.

– Why the Marine Corps?

– I come from the North. And the Marine Corps is the pride of the Northern Fleet, so I went to serve there. The path of our brigade is very glorious, dating back to the time of the Great Patriotic War, and it is a great honor for me to serve in it.

– How old were you when you became a contract soldier?

– About thirty.

– Did you have any difficulties joining the service? It just doesn’t fit in my head – a woman, and even in such a difficult unit?

– I think the brigade commander appreciated the fact that I had already participated in hostilities in the Donbass. This played a certain role.

– How did you feel when the special operation was announced?

“I immediately turned to the command with a request to enroll me to be sent to the Northern Military District. Voluntarily. At that time there was no talk of girls serving in the Northern Military District zone. This was nonsense.

– That is, you became one of the first women in the Northern Military District zone?

– Maybe yes. Later, girls began to appear. They serve in communications units, in medicine, and in other areas. I know there are FPV drone operators out there too. The girls behave very well and show good results.

– What character traits does a woman need to position herself correctly in a male team?

– It all starts with confidence in one’s rightness, this gives strength. Of course, you need discipline, perseverance, reasonable initiative, observation and endurance.

– Are there any concessions for women?

– The attitude on the part of the guys is like towards a younger sister, there is such a thing. But the fact is that everyone is performing military tasks, everyone is equally tired. Therefore, the same life as in a family is distributed equally among everyone. Today an officer peels potatoes, tomorrow a soldier. He who is free takes care of everyday life.

– By the way, many people are afraid of life in the field. And you?

– Everyday life can always be arranged – if only you have the hands and the desire. We never lacked anything – there was always food, a field kitchen, in the rear not far from the contact line there was a place where you could wash, despite the fact that there was not always water. We obtained water for ourselves and for the residents of liberated settlements.

– Is it hard to return to peaceful life on vacation?

– It’s not the same for everybody. I am happy when I can take a shower, when there is water, I don’t have to bend over from the claps. Values, of course, change. For a person who is ready to die every second, it is sometimes difficult to watch how people behave in civilian life. It seems that they are thinking about the wrong things and spending their energy on the wrong things. But in general, we exist so that people can live peacefully, go to cafes, discos…

Driving a KAMAZ or an armored personnel carrier – there is no difference

– I see you have a lot of medals. Tell us about them.

– Some of the medals were for SVO, some were received even before the special operation. There is “For Military Distinction” – this is the highest departmental medal, and there are Donetsk medals.

– Which is the most expensive for you?

– The most expensive is the medal “For Courage”. The most popular medal, this has been the case since the Great Patriotic War. They were awarded, as they say, based on the totality of their merits.

– The Ministry of Defense briefly told me about your heroic act – how you saved the guys from under fire… How was it?

– This was at the very beginning of the Northern Military District, in 2022. We were then operating in the Avdeevka direction, liberating one of the settlements. I then provided communications to the commander of the tactical group. The signalman’s task is to always be close to the commander so that he can control his subordinates and communicate with higher headquarters. Well, or to timely transmit the coordinates of targets to the artillerymen. It was hard for the unit. But the settlement was eventually liberated. And not even alone.

– Why did the guys have to be rescued?

– The tactical unit was at the assembly point and did not have time to deploy. The enemy spotted it and began shelling. I gave the command to the soldiers to occupy the abandoned KamAZ, got behind the wheel and took the personnel to a safe shelter.

– Why did you get behind the wheel and not the guys?

– This is the specificity. I am generally a general driver, I have absolutely all driving categories. For me, driving a car is not difficult – a KamAZ or an armored personnel carrier – it’s all the same. In the army, people are interchangeable, and you have to navigate the situation and sometimes make decisions on your own.

– How many people were saved?

– About twelve people.

– Is quickly navigating a situation a feminine quality?

– Don’t think. For me then everything was just more familiar.

– Did the men thank you?

– No. This is ordinary work… This is how it works in our unit – today you helped someone, tomorrow they will save you – everyone stands for each other. Thanks to the commander, this is largely his merit. His call sign is “Pirate”. He never hid behind the backs of his personnel, he himself was seriously wounded, he was always ahead, he made the right decisions.

– What weapons did you have to master during your service?

– All the small arms that the unit has, as well as a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher, anti-tank guided missiles… In general, everything that shoots.

– What helps you cope with internal experiences? Maybe boxing?

– Boxing is over. Aeromodelling helps – a very promising direction. If it’s bad, you need to do something socially useful. So I go and collect drones.

– Do you have a person whom you would call a hero?

– During the Northern Military District, everyone who is on the line of combat contact performs tasks in the trenches, every second being under fire from mortars, multiple launch rocket systems, under machine gun or machine gun fire, the guys who go on the assault drag out their soldier’s everyday life – each of them hero. Because sometimes even bringing water to a trench in a position is an operation with a risk to life. Sometimes you have to unload canisters of water under the cover of an armored personnel carrier. In winter, it used to be when you go to the guys at the position, you even lay out the cartridges, and instead of them you take coal or a couple of logs and a bottle of water. Because when you come, the guys will definitely give you tea. And I know how hard it all is…

– Maybe you can remember an example of heroic behavior?

– We had a driver with the call sign “Shuba”. Maybe he has a different call sign now – I don’t know. Really a guy with nerves of steel. He’s going to hell, along the road, which is constantly being “bombarded” (fired at by anti-tank guided missiles. – “MK”), our group was taken away and brought back. During the shelling of a temporary accommodation center from an adjacent unit, he saved a man – under fire, he carried out a soldier with a traumatic brain injury in an armored personnel carrier. If he had been evacuated later, the guy would have died. And “Shuba” performs these tasks constantly, day after day.

– Do you have any idea what makes people like this?

– Character, perseverance, education, a keen sense of justice.

– Did the SVO change you a lot?

– It seems to me that I have become more humane. My comrades, with whom fate brought me together in Donetsk, taught me this. Donetsk residents are great people, true patriots, comrades. I only read about such people in books, an example of true love, honor, courage…