25-year-old servicewoman killed in Chernihiv Oblast during air strike: she got married to her military husband in hospital

In the Chernihiv region, 25-year-old soldier Kateryna Yushchenko was killed in a Russian air strike on the border area. Originally from the Luhansk region, she married a seriously wounded ATO fighter and then went to defend Ukraine herself.

Read more about this in the OBOZREVATEL article.

She met Serhiy at his position in Luhansk Oblast

On Tuesday, April 4, two Russian Su-35s carried out an air strike on the border area of the Chernihiv region. As a result, four soldiers were killed, including 25-year-old Kateryna Yushchenko.

The girl was from the Luhansk region. As volunteer Lesya Menkush-Malkiv recalls, Katya was 18 years old when she and her mother baked pies and carried them to the positions of our military in the Luhansk region.

There she met Ukrainian intelligence officer Serhiy Yushchenko. She fell in love with him with all her heart. Katya said that she was introduced to Serhiy by a mutual friend, also a military man. She was 18 years old at the time, and Serhiy had a daughter of almost the same age from a previous marriage. And an even younger son.

But the girl's parents did not mind their relationship. They went to Lviv, where Serhiy's unit was stationed, and then he was sent to the ATO. On May 8, 2016, Serhiy was seriously injured there.

Their reconnaissance group went on a mission and hit a mine. His comrade was killed, but Serhiy survived. At first, doctors in Kharkiv did not even want to let Katya visit him. But then she managed to get into intensive care.

Serhiy had injuries to his face, chest, spine, bruises to his internal organs and a broken jaw. Doctors immediately warned him that he would most likely not be able to walk. Katya did not believe the doctors and kept hoping that sooner or later her beloved would walk.

Then Sergiy was transferred to a hospital in Lviv.

"We first saw Katya at Serhiy's bedside. He was sleeping after anaesthesia. And Katya seemed to be saying with her whole body: "I will kill anyone who comes near!" This is how lionesses guard wounded lions. Then we fell in love with this slightly prickly girl and quickly melted her heart. She also accepted us, snuggled up to us, felt our sincerity and believed us," says Lesia.

They got married in a hospital

And then the couple decided to get married right in the hospital. Not everyone believed in this marriage, they doubted it, because the girl was very young and the wounded Serhiy could not walk. But they were all wrong.

The wedding was organised right in the hospital square, it was warm outside. There were wedding arches decorated with flowers and white tulle. Happy Katya in her white wedding dress and Serhiy in his military uniform. Katya was crying from happiness and all the attention they received.

After extensive treatment and rehabilitation, the couple moved to Hlukhiv and got an apartment. Sergiy learned to be independent. He learned to cook and could even repair a car.

"It wasn't easy for her, she was hurt by his pain, looking for a cure, hiding her sadness behind laughter. But then, when Serhiy got stronger and more independent, able to do without her help, she joined the army instead. It was her dream," Lesia recalls.

Katya served as a senior soldier in a military unit in Hlukhiv. She also studied part-time at the Hlukhiv Agricultural and Technical Vocational College.

But she met the war in Enerhodar, then Okhtyrka.

In addition to fighting, she searched for everything necessary for her unit - air mattresses, carbines, medicines. The volunteer recalls that once she put a teddy bear in a parcel for them, and everyone loved it. Since then, bears have been included in all parcels, and the unit has been called Katya and the Bears.

Everyone was worried about Katya and her Serhiy, and she was worried about others, warning her friends about the impending missile strikes and telling them to be careful.

But it all ended on April 4, when Serhiy dialled Lesia and shouted into the phone: "Lesya, my favourite girl, my Katyusha, is dead!"

Three other soldiers were killed in the strike along with Katya. On April 5, Katya was brought home to be buried. A day later, her family said goodbye.