A Zaporizhstal employee, after eight years of working at the plant, has joined the military.
Ukrainian women are incredible: strong and talented, persistent and hardworking, intelligent and resourceful. They show remarkable strength of spirit, support, and mutual assistance. Nowadays, no one is surprised to see a woman serving in the military, driving a truck, leading a company, or working in heavy industry.
At Zaporizhstal alone, over 2,000 women specialists are employed. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, eight female employees of the plant have voluntarily joined the Ukrainian armed forces.
Nataliia is a steelworker at the Zaporizhstal plant. She dedicated around eight years to working as a crane operator in the hot rolling shop. With the onset of the full-scale invasion, Nataliia became actively involved in volunteering.
“After February 24th, my husband Vitalii mobilized and joined the National Guard of Ukraine. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that we would be apart. Even harder was thinking about what my husband was facing at war, risking his life every day. During that time, volunteering saved me from heavy thoughts and worries. By helping others, I was also helping myself – to distract from anxiety, to find the strength to live, work, and bring Victory closer,” Nataliia recalls.
It was then that the idea of joining the military first crossed her mind. Over time, that inner calling didn’t fade, so after much thought and discussions with her beloved, Nataliia made a life-changing decision: now she and her husband would defend the country side by side.
“Life is unpredictable. You never know where you’ll be tomorrow. Honestly, I could never have imagined I would ever wear military fatigues. But this wasn’t an impulsive decision – I consciously took this step. And here I am,” Nataliia says with a smile.
At first, Vitalii was concerned about his wife’s decision, but ultimately, he supported her.
“At the start of the full-scale invasion, of course, I was against her joining the military. But she’s a fighter – she knows exactly what she wants. So when she firmly told me her decision, I supported her. We’re a team; how could it be otherwise?” adds Vitalii.
Now, he and his comrades from the 3026 military unit of the National Guard of Ukraine are helping Nataliia adapt to her new life. Meanwhile, her colleagues from Zaporizhstal stay in touch and support her.
“I can feel that here, at the unit, people care about me; they check if I’ve put on my protective gear correctly and give me useful advice It lifts my spirits even more and gives me confidence that, with such support, I can handle anything!” says Nataliia.
Like other Zaporizhstal employees who are defending the country at the front and keeping Ukraine’s economy running in the rear, Nataliia has one cherished dream.
“Of course, we are all waiting for peace the most – fair and lasting peace. So that all this horror ends on our Ukrainian land. I believe that together – each of us doing our part – we will defend the future for our children without war,” the Zaporizhstal servicewoman concludes.
