"We Call Ourselves the Combat Witches."
State of the World from NPR
Deep Dive
Why did the women from Bucha form an all-female volunteer air defense unit?
The women formed the unit to cope with the trauma and grief caused by the 2022 massacre by Russian troops in their city. The unit, called the Combat Witches of Bucha, provides them with a sense of belonging and purpose while defending their community against Russian drone attacks.
What professions did the members of the Combat Witches of Bucha have before the war?
The members included a veterinarian, a math teacher, a water inspector, a real estate agent, a nanny, a doctor, and a pastry chef. They were ordinary working professionals and mothers before the Russian invasion.
What is the significance of the name 'Combat Witches of Bucha'?
The name originated from a badge one of the women had, depicting a witch with weapons. While the name itself is not the focus, it symbolizes their unity and teamwork in defending their community against Russian drones.
How did the Russian occupation affect the women of Bucha?
During the occupation, women faced extreme trauma, including the fear of rape, torture, and death. Valentina, one of the members, recalls hearing women consider killing themselves and their children to avoid such horrors. The occupation left deep emotional scars on the community.
What role does the Combat Witches unit play in defending Kyiv?
The unit is trained to shoot down Russian drones in the suburbs of Kyiv. While they have not yet shot down any drones, they patrol at night and practice drills weekly, preparing to defend their sector against potential attacks.
How has joining the Combat Witches unit impacted the women emotionally?
Joining the unit has provided the women with a sense of empowerment and camaraderie. They no longer see themselves as victims but as soldiers who support and care for each other. The unit has helped them process their trauma and find purpose in defending their community.
What equipment do the Combat Witches use during their training?
They use a recoil-operated machine gun called the Maksim, the first fully automatic machine gun in the world. They practice assembling and operating the weapon under the guidance of a male soldier during their drills.
- Formation of the Combat Witches of Bucha, an all-female volunteer air defense unit
- Members' backgrounds as professionals and mothers
- Trauma of the Bucha massacre and its impact on their lives
- Decision to take up arms and fight back against Russian aggression
Shownotes Transcript
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Today on State of the World, the Ukrainian women who call themselves the combat witches. You're listening to State of the World from NPR, the day's most vital international stories up close where they are happening. I'm Christine Arismith. Before the Russian attacks on Ukraine, a group of suburban women near Kyiv were working professionals and moms.
Then, in 2022, Russian troops entered their city of Bucha and massacred civilians. The trauma and grief of that time still runs deep. So the women decided to organize and train. Now they're part of an all-female combat unit skilled at shooting down Russian drones. NPR's Joanna Kakissas has their story. And a warning:
This piece includes mentions of suicide and sexual assault, descriptions of wartime violence, and the sounds of gunshots. In a cold forest outside Kiev, the suburban moms in army green fatigues assemble their rifles. Valentina trained as a veterinarian. Dina is a math teacher. Tatyana used to be a water inspector.
The group also includes a real estate agent, a nanny, a doctor, and a pastry chef. They shoot at targets in a muddy range. Valentina grins after she nails her shot.
We call ourselves the Combat Witches of Bucha, she says. The name comes from a badge one of us had showing a witch with weapons. The name doesn't matter that much, she says. What matters more is belonging to this team and that we are together. Akuma!
The witches are a female volunteer air defense unit trained to shoot down drones in the suburbs of Kyiv. NPR is not disclosing the women's last names at the request of the Ukrainian military. The women all come from the Kyiv suburbs, where Russian forces killed and tortured residents early in the 2022 invasion. Valentina and her best friend Ina are from a village near the city of Bucha.
At a cafe in the city, the two sit side by side. Valentina says they met 11 years ago when their youngest children became friends in kindergarten. She says our kids hung out, we talked, and soon we realized we are cut from the same cloth.
When Russian troops occupied the city at the end of February 2022, Valentina and her son crowded into a basement with neighbors. Ina says her family drove to another village, holing up in a tiny old hut owned by her grandparents. It had firewood, a cellar, and potatoes.
In a cafe in another Kiev suburb, Tatiana recalls her experience during the occupation. How hurriedly she packed a suitcase for herself and her two daughters. How her husband, who had joined the military, rushed to embrace her and their girls one last time. She says, my husband told me, my task is to save our city. Yours is to save our children.
A friend took Tatiana and the girls to Spain. Walking along the seaside, Tatiana felt a cold emptiness in her heart. My husband had not called when he was supposed to, she says. And then, at 3.30 that morning, someone called me and told me he was dead.
She asks me to shut off the recorder as her eyes fill with tears. I'm a soldier, she says, and soldiers aren't supposed to cry. The occupation lasted a week. Valentina huddled in the basement. She heard women considering unimaginable choices, like killing themselves and their own children to avoid being raped and tortured by Russian troops. Valentina sent a message to Ina. It was a very difficult moment.
She told me, if anything happens to me, please take care of my son. Valentina and her family survived the siege. When she and Ina reunited, they burst into tears.
Tatiana returned to Ukraine and volunteered to transport supplies to the front line in honor of her husband. But her emotions were raw. I was going through a very tough time, and honestly, I don't want to talk about it now because I will cry, she says, and you won't be able to calm me down. Meanwhile, over the last year, Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have increased exponentially.
While scrolling on her phone last summer, Tatyana saw an announcement about a volunteer unit called the Witches of Bucha that shoots down these drones. I'm going to the train.
And I immediately dialed the number, she says. I got an interview and then the job. Valentina and Ina saw it too and signed up together. We were just sitting and crying at home and that's no good, Valentina says. And now we've got skills. We know how to hold a gun, how to shoot a gun. Maybe we don't know how to kill the enemy, but that's coming up next.
The witches of Bucha are all close friends now. They call or text each other every day. They meet for coffee, go on vacation together. It's going to be explosions. And every week they're back in the forest outside Kiev, practicing their drills and patrolling for drones at night. A training drone flies overhead, over trenches and burnt vehicles, remnants of the Russian occupation.
The women jump into a truck outfitted with a recoil-operated machine gun called the Maksim, the first fully automatic machine gun in the world. A male soldier helps them practice putting it together. Tatiana says they have not yet shot down any Russian drones. We haven't had the chance yet, she says. They don't fly over here. We can see them, but they're not in our sector.
Taking down drones, she says, is not the only goal for the witches of Bucha. More importantly, she says, they are taking care of each other, no longer victims, but soldiers. Joanna Kikisis, NPR News, Bucha, Ukraine. And that's the state of the world from NPR. Thanks for listening.
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