When Russia invaded Ukraine, Evgeniya Emerald (Her first name has several spellings) was a civilian running a jewelry store. Her father had given her some training as a child, and she’d been in the Ukrainian version of ROTC. When Russia invaded, she volunteered — and her shooting skills were good enough to get her an assignment as a sniper.
Scripps News had a report on her career back in May 2023 — from civilian to woman on the battlefield to marriage and to new mother. It’s a compelling story with some powerful imagery. It’s a demonstration of what the Ukrainian people have done to meet the terrible challenges of resisting the Russian invasion.