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In the haze of birch trees and dust, a helicopter returns from a mission, skimming the forest edge before settling into a clearing. The door swings open, and out steps a young pilot—mascara still intact, nails painted burgundy, and flight jacket slung confidently over her arm. A ground crew member rushes to help. She waves him off. Her body language says it all: If I can land a helicopter in a warzone, I don’t need help with my jacket.

That pilot is Senior Lieutenant Kateryna, the only female combat helicopter pilot in Ukraine’s Defence Forces. Since joining the 18th Army Aviation Brigade in 2023, Kateryna has flown over 30 combat missions aboard a Soviet-designed Mi-8 helicopter—a hulking aircraft used for transport, navigation, and direct attacks on Russian targets

Kateryna’s fascination with aviation began early. As a child, she visited an airbase where her father served as an officer. At just 10 years old, she flew in a Mi-8 for the first time. “It was so loud and so scary,” she recalled to the BBC, “but I felt that I wanted to fly it.”

At 16, she enrolled at the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University, where she was the only female student. A male lecturer once asked her, “What are you doing here? This is not for girls.” But a female instructor changed her course. “She told me not to listen to anyone,” Kateryna said, “and I thought, if she can fly, why can’t I?”

When preparing for a sortie, Kateryna braids her hair into two tight plaits, dons a male-issued uniform, and checks her flight tablet. She’s often the only woman on the mission. The helicopters are hidden deep in the forest to avoid Russian airstrikes. On one mission, she flew the third helicopter in a three-craft formation—a relay aircraft maintaining radio contact, often at higher, more dangerous altitudes.

Despite the risk, she keeps calm. “I never stress during the flight,” she told the BBC. “All the heavy thoughts come before or after. During the flight, my mind is clear.”

Yet even in the sky, the war’s reality is inescapable. “I fly and look over my country, thinking how beautiful it is,” she said. “And then I see everything destroyed—burned and bombed towns, homes, and factories—and I think, how did we get here in the 21st century?”

After each mission, Kateryna joins her male crewmates for quiet evenings watching movies. The camaraderie is genuine—but not without challenges. “Guys always want to show that they’re heroes and protect you,” she said to the New York Times. “But I didn’t come here to be a girl. At some point, our army will get it.”

Though respected by fellow pilots, Kateryna acknowledges ongoing sexism in the ranks. Female soldiers are often given fewer assignments and are marginalized in decision-making. “It’s like that in any profession when you’re a woman,” she told the BBC. “Not just in the army.”

Still, her presence alone is transformative. “Possibly, I ruined the stereotype,” she said.

Ukraine, now in the fourth year of full-scale war with Russia, is facing an urgent need for personnel. After years of hesitation, the government is encouraging more women to serve. The Ministry of Defense reports a 20% increase in female military personnel since Russia’s invasion began in 2022.

To support this shift, the military has launched gender-equality training programs and targeted recruitment campaigns. Kateryna rarely sees her family and misses her younger sister deeply. But she holds on to the dream of one day flying with her, peacefully, without war overhead.

Until then, she flies missions, clears targets, and pushes forward—not just as a pilot, but as a symbol of resilience, change, and the women rising through Ukraine’s ranks one mission at a time.