Pastry chef by day, air defence operator by night: the woman from Bucha shooting down Russian drones

In the Kyiv Oblast town of Bucha, a remarkable transformation is underway, not just in the physical rebuilding of a community scarred by war, but in the lives of its residents. Liudmyla Lysenko, a woman whose days are typically filled with the sweet aromas of chocolate and vanilla as a professional pastry chef, has embraced a dual role as a volunteer air defence operator. Her nights, and increasingly her schedule, are now dedicated to defending the skies over Ukraine as part of the 'Bucha Witches' unit. This commitment is not for pay; it stems from a profound sense of duty ignited by the horrors she witnessed upon returning to Bucha after its liberation. The town, she recalls, resembled a 'zombie apocalypse' – a landscape of ruins and lingering fear. The decision to join the Defence Forces two years into the full-scale invasion was a deliberate one, a response to the question of what useful contribution she could make. Lysenko refutes the notion that military service is unsuitable for women or mothers, asserting that defending one's home is the ultimate act of maternal care, ensuring the safety and warmth of the family hearth. Her story, featured in Ukrainska Pravda, underscores the resilience and multifaceted contributions of Ukrainian civilians on the home front, demonstrating that the fight for Ukraine's future is waged not only on the battlefield but also in the everyday lives of its people.

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When I returned to Bucha, the town looked like it had been through a zombie apocalypse