"You need to be persistent because the guys are looking at you"

The girls participating in the SVO told Izvestia about their service, comrades and experiences

Ekaterina Antropova worked with documents for almost nine years of service in the army, but with the beginning of her military service, she studied the basics of first aid and went to the hospital in the area of her military service. Irina Koval signed a contract, having received a military specialty at the military training center at a civilian university, and now she provides communication near the line of contact. Ekaterina and Irina are only two of the 37.5 thousand women who serve in the Russian army today. On March 6, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu thanked all of them for their conscientious service. And Izvestia, on the eve of International Women's Day, talked with the girls participating in ITS, learned about their first impressions in the war zone, how their family reacted to their choice, what fears they had to face, and whether they were justified.

"Humanity manifests itself more here"

Ekaterina Antropova was born in the Trans-Baikal Territory into a military family. Until 2013, she worked in the civil sphere, but then realized that she wanted to continue the family tradition. I signed a contract. At first, the service was associated with working with documents. But everything changed after the start of the special military operation. The desire to benefit led to the medical service. Ekaterina was taught the basics of first aid. In June 2023, she went on her first business trip.

The parents were worried, but supported their daughter, saying that they were "proud of her, and this is the right choice." The young man did not dissuade either, he is a soldier himself, so he understood her decision. According to the girl, it is easier for her to interact with him there than to stay at home.

Sergeant Ekaterina Antropova

Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Anna Selina

— From the very beginning, I was looking through the media, someone was telling some stories. But when we arrived by train and I saw the first wrecked towed vehicle, it was only then that I realized that everything was serious. And then I came to the hospital itself, saw the guys, and realized that the work was about to begin in full," Ekaterina recalled her first feelings and thoughts.

In the hospital, her duties include accompanying wounded soldiers: their meeting, registration, outpatient documentation, journals. If there is a large influx, then you have to assist the doctors — apply a cast, a splint, inject painkillers.

— It was difficult at first. I'm also a sentimental person. But I have a wonderful head of the medical service. She said that in no case should you give up the slack. On the contrary, you need to be persistent, because the guys are looking at you, they need your psychological support, and then everything will be fine," she shared.

Ekaterina noted that communication with loved ones is extremely important for her patients.

Photo: TASS/Sergey Malgavko

Image source: iz.ru

— To cheer up the fighters, I always ask about my family, because someone is waiting for everyone at home, or I help them call their loved ones if the guys are without a phone. Communication with the house is very important," she said. — Here, humanity manifests itself more in everyone. There is no such thing as someone abandoning someone, or something like that. We always support each other.

The girl stressed that it can be scary, but she is more worried about the condition of patients and their future — how they will get there, whether they ate, how the dressing went.

— Actually, the guys are all great. When discharged, they always say kind words, thank you, this is the most valuable thing," she stressed.

Now Ekaterina serves as a senior nurse at the hospital department, she already has two medals — "Participant in a special military operation" and "For military valor" of the II degree.

"Without communication there is no control, without control there is no victory"

For Irina Koval, the military has always been an example of courage and bravery, and she herself decided to join the military. He has been in the army for more than two years. After school, she entered the Civil University of Telecommunications and Informatics, and received a military specialty at the military training center at the university. Upon completion of her studies, she signed a contract.

In the summer of 2022, Guard Lieutenant Irina Koval was sent on a business trip to the zone of a special military operation by the commander of a radio relay platoon.

— Since I'm still a civilian, it was, of course, hard to get involved, because this is a completely different life, — she recalls. — When I came as a young lieutenant, I didn't know anything yet, so they taught me everything. I had the foundation, because I studied to be a communications engineer, but there was still a lot to learn. It's actually very interesting, and I tried to get information from everyone who could provide it to me. And just, probably, like a sponge trying to absorb it all.

The tasks of Irina's platoon include ensuring stable communication between the leadership and subordinate units, monitoring all negotiations, videoconferences, and duty at combat posts. According to the girl, each hardware is individual, and you need to study them all — the amount of information that needs to be remembered is the complexity of its work.

— Fear is probably present in everyone, but the positive that your unit creates, your comrades who support you as well as you support them, help to remove this fear somewhere. More of some positive emotions are still remembered," the officer said.

The hardware in the special military operation zone works day and night. If the connection is lost, it needs to be restored quickly.

— There is no control without communication, there is no victory without control, — Irina noted. — I have men under my command, but I won't say that it was somehow difficult for me, because the guys are all adults, they understand where they are, who stands in front of them, after all, the commander.

The girl remembered how scared she was to tell her mother about the upcoming business trip, and how hard it was for her to hear this news. But the constant connection with her daughter and the knowledge that everything is fine with her calms her down. According to Irina, before entering the zone of self-defense, everything seems frightening, but in fact the reality is better than expectations.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky

Image source: iz.ru

— It is very difficult to look far away somewhere right now, so while I live here and now, I am fulfilling my official duties and trying to develop professionally somehow. This will be useful to me in any case, whether I continue my service or go to civilian structures," Irina summed up.

On the day of the signal troops in 2022, the commander of the unit awarded her the departmental medal "For Military Valor" of the II degree for performing combat tasks.

— It's very nice that they somehow appreciated it, although each of us thinks: I'm not doing anything like that, I'm just fulfilling my official duties. Therefore, when I was told about the award, there was just a storm of emotions, but at the same time it was a little scary to receive it. This is my first medal," Lieutenant Koval shared her emotions with the Guards.

And she admitted that the award gave her an awareness of what to strive for, an understanding that her work was appreciated, and she needed to go in this direction further.

Julia Leonova