The only combat helicopter pilot in Ukraine spoke about her service.

The first female combat pilot on a helicopter in Ukraine

Lieutenant Kateryna serves in the 18th Separate Brigade of Army Aviation. She is the only combat helicopter pilot in Ukraine. According to 'Glavkom', the New York Times reported on Kateryna.

According to military personnel cited by NYT, Kateryna is the only woman serving as a combat pilot at the front-line helicopter base. She serves alongside dozens of men.

She mentioned that she was the only woman in her cohort even during her studies at the Kharkiv National University of Air Force. She herself hopes, 'that more women will fly.'

Her father served as an officer at the airbase, and she developed a desire to pilot a helicopter after being taken on a ride in a Mi-8 helicopter at the age of 10. According to Kateryna, she often doubts her abilities, but this, she says, happens not only in the army but everywhere, 'when you're a woman.'

She joined the 18th Army Aviation Brigade in 2023, and began performing combat missions in September 2024. Currently, Kateryna is the co-pilot and navigator on the Mi-8 helicopter. In total, she has undertaken over 30 combat sorties.

One of them occurred last week. At that Time, she piloted a so-called 'relay helicopter, ensuring communication for the two others flying ahead and launching missiles at Russian targets.

As soon as I hear on the radio that we hit the target - like today - I know the mission is accomplished. I feel: 'Phew, great, we did it,' - Kateryna says.

She also noted that her male colleagues strive to help her, but sometimes make sexist remarks, which she has 'learned to ignore.'

Let us remind you that the Air Force serviceman Veronika is a technician for the multi-role F-16 fighter. Her journey into aviation began in childhood; she would involuntarily gaze at the sky when an aircraft flew by, tracing cascading figures and pirouettes, and holding her breath dreamed of becoming an officer. After training at the Kharkiv National University of Air Force, she became one of the first women to master technical specialties in aviation.

Also, for the first time in Poland's history, a woman became a pilot of the American-made F-16 fighter.