This Saturday, NewsNation’s Robert Sherman reports live from Ukraine for a special report, “Ukraine: On the Frontlines.” The one-hour program will air 8p/7C. Find out how to watch.
(NewsNation) — As the fighting continues in Ukraine, military drones have emerged as the greatest innovation of the war to date. But Ukraine has developed some innovative ways of defending against Russian air strikes.
One of them is a volunteer group made up almost entirely of women that has made it its mission to take those drones down.
They call themselves the “Witches of Bucha.” By day, members work normal jobs. By night, they lace up and shoot down enemy drones.
Cheap Ukrainian drones inflict costly damage to Russian war machine
NewsNation’s Robert Sherman got an inside look at their lives in and out of uniform.
All hands on deck in Ukraine war
The bloodiest war in Europe since World War II has raged on for 3 1/2 years. Hundreds of thousands have been deployed to the front lines between the two sides never to come home.
There was a time when only Ukrainian men could serve in combat roles. That changed in 2017. And with Russia at the doorstep, the old days are long gone.
Olena Sylchenko already wears plenty of hats. She’s a mom, runs the house and has a massage therapy business on the side. In her spare time, she’s a mixed martial arts fighter.
Then, there’s another hat, or helmet, for her night job. When the sun sets, she finds herself deep in the woods, on the outskirts of Kyiv — watching and waiting.
She’s one of the so-called “Witches of Bucha,” a nearly all-female group of volunteer soldiers.
Swarms of Russian drones attack Ukraine nightly as Moscow puts new emphasis on the deadly weapon
“Witches are women who are strong-minded and motivated,” Olena said. “One calls herself a witch because it is going to be just how we say it and want it to be.”
Their job is to defend the skies from Russia’s drones.
“We can only breathe easy when we either have shot them down or they are gone,” she said. “Otherwise, it’s vigilance and more vigilance.”
‘Witches’ credited with saving homes
There’s no shortage of action, as Russian drones rain down on Ukraine practically every night. The Ukrainians estimate more than 6,000 drones were launched at their country in the month of July alone.
Volunteers like Olena must be trained and ready to go for whatever Russia puts in the air. Age, gender — none of that matters when your back is against the wall.
“These are full-fledged forces of defense of Ukraine, and thanks to these women, today, most of our energy, most of our homes, are intact,” said Col. Andrii Verlatyi, chief of staff for the Bucha Volunteer Defense Forces.
For some, it’s their first time picking up a weapon. The invasion left everyday civilians like Olena little choice.
It was the atrocities committed in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv raided by Russian forces at the start of the war, that spurred the formation of this group.
“I didn’t want to just hide in the basement,” Olena said. “I wanted to join and help. I wanted my family and children to sleep well.”
So, in her world, there are even more hats to juggle now.
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