“I’m not naive enough to think that after the war, I’ll just move from the trenches into a cozy apartment in Lviv with books and a cat,” says Tristram, a 31-year-old junior sergeant and field medic-instructor with the 2nd International Legion, a special purpose battalion of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

This story is about resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to saving lives. Zhanna Myrshevka's decision to become a volunteer frontline medic at 55 was deeply personal.

Prior to full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, the 43-year-old Olena Ryzh Ivanenko used to be a top manager in a restaurant business.

This soldier has been wounded six times, and twice had to stitch up his own leg by himself instead of a surgeon. In November 2024, he spoke with us of how his training at the headquarters helped him save a machine gunner with the call sign "Sober".

The Kyiv office of Leleka Foundation is always glad to welcome medics from the frontlines — those whom we proudly support. Meeting in person, sharing conversations over coffee, and exchanging energy with "our own" is vital for both our military personnel and volunteers.