Russian woman says faith helped her survive Ukraine war

MOSCOW (MNTV) — Anna, a 33-year-old former business owner from Moscow, says she became the only woman serving in Russia’s Akhmat battalion during the early stages of the war in Ukraine, a role she says tested her leadership and resolve amid intense fighting in 2023.

Anna, who asked to be identified by her first name and her call sign, “Themis,” said she volunteered after closing her event-planning business, driven by family history and patriotic duty.

“I grew up in a patriotic family. My grandfather fought in the Great Patriotic War,” she said, referring to World War II. “I felt I had to contribute.”

She was initially assigned to headquarters duties in Kremenna, in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, and later became chief of staff within the Akhmat battalion, a unit associated with Chechnya. She had originally hoped to work as a war correspondent but was reassigned due to personnel shortages.

Anna said earning the trust of male colleagues was not difficult once she demonstrated competence under pressure.

She credited instinct and experience for helping her and others avoid danger during several attacks, including missile strikes that damaged buildings shortly after personnel had left.

She described those moments as deeply personal, saying she believed intuition—and, at times, spiritual guidance—played a role in survival.

A mother of a nine-year-old son, Anna is already planning for life after the war. She is preparing to publish a book and hopes to open a support center to help former service members and their families adapt to civilian life. To that end, she has completed distance studies in psychology.

“For now, we’re working,” she said. “And I know my son is proud. That gives me strength.”