meeting with Natalia, a Ukrainian oncologist who became a war doctor

Ukrainian Natalia was an oncologist-resuscitator before the conflict with Russia. Today, she has become a war doctor. Franceinfo met her when she had to take a break from her work, too affected by the violence of the fighting.

Fighting still rages in Ukraine. Russian forces continue to bombard the city of Kherson on the southern front. In the east, attacks carried out to take the town of Avdiivka, held by the Ukrainians, have caused a thousand deaths every day for a month. It is very close to this town that Natalia is stationed with her unit. A doctor, she left her children with her family to enlist at the start of the war, almost two years ago. But today she is too affected by the conflict to continue her work as a caregiver. She begs not to abandon Ukraine.

It’s his look that says it all, his eyes that suddenly freeze towards a horizon that only those at the front know. When the war started, Natalia was working in oncology and intensive care. In the army, her code name is Marguerite. On the Eastern Front, she became a combat medic. “My last assignment was to Klishchiivkashe says. It’s a tough destination, so tough. I can’t find the words… It’s very hot there, the Russians are constantly attacking. And unfortunately, we don’t have enough weapons.”

“I don’t want my children to go to war”

Franceinfo meets her near kyiv. On the edge of a snowy forest, she is now training to pilot a drone. Her dyed black hair is cut short, she has put lipstick and varnish on her nails, at the tips of those fingers that twist restlessly. “I realized I had to take a break. It’s really hard to see all these injured people. You do everything you can but you can’t save them because the injuries are such that you can’t survive them “she explains after a long sigh.

At his feet, the ground turned into a mirror of frozen mud. On her cheek, a tear left a trace of mascara. The bitter cold of winter. Or something else, perhaps. “I don’t want my children to go to war. It’s up to us to put an end to it. I want my children to have a better future, I want them to have freedom, strength, the right to choose .Now it’s on all of us.” These children, aged 14 and 20, Natalia left with her parents.

“Please support us”

“Everyone is tired of the war. But we have to understand that Russia is not going to be satisfied with Ukraine. We are really protecting several countries. The Ukrainians would be grateful if the world supports us, that we don’t forget that here, it’s war and that this war… It’s too hard…confides Natalia, very moved. If we are not supported, I fear it will end badly for Ukraine. Support us, please. Otherwise it would be too hard for us.”