Delicate, smiling, and full of incredible energy, she stepped onto the stage, and an honest conversation began — one that brought some of those present to tears.

September 28, senior students of Biotechnological Lyceum "Radowell" spoke with Viktoriia Zuieva, a software group operator in the Simulation Modelling Department of the 199th Training Centre of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces. She previously served with the 95th Polissia Air Assault Brigade from 2019 until she was wounded.

Our guest spoke about why she chose the medical field, having begun her military career as a battalion nurse; her decisive choice to enlist; her dream of becoming an actress; the love she found in eastern Ukraine; and the terrible day when her crew set out to evacuate wounded soldiers in the Kharkiv region…

The vehicle came under fire. The driver was killed, while Viktoriia, despite suffering a severe injury herself, pulled a doctor out of the wrecked vehicle. The enemy continued shelling the area where the vehicle was burning, so they had to wait for hours to be evacuated. Then came months of treatment: 17 surgeries, half a year in a wheelchair, and the doctors’ alarming words that she might never be able to have children. But Viktoriia refused to believe them and proved that she could define the limits of what was possible for herself — she became a beloved wife and a caring mother.

After such ordeals, our heroine could have left military service. But she continues to serve because she is convinced that she is where she belongs. In 2023, Viktoriia transferred to the 199th Training Centre of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, where she served for a long time as a tactical medicine instructor. After her most recent surgeries, taking her health into account, she continued her service in the software group.

What is most striking is how tenderness and an incredibly strong character coexist within her. Despite everything she has been through, Viktoriia joked often, shared her dreams, and spoke about love. At that moment, a thought came to mind: some people show their strength through a stern expression, while others demonstrate it through heroic actions that need no grand declarations.

At the end of the meeting, the senior students approached Viktoriia, hugged her, thanked her, and offered words of support. It was very difficult to hold back tears.

Thank you, Viktoriia, for your service and for giving us the opportunity to hear your story directly from you rather than through the news. And thank you for an important lesson: strength of spirit is not a mask of impenetrability, but the ability to remain sincere, smiling, devoted, and unbreakable even after experiences that could have made you hard-hearted.