Young woman and animal lover gives her life in the defense of Ukraine

Rest in peace. Medic Yana “Yara” Rykhlitska killed in action near Bakhmut. Image: Twitter.

NEWS AND OPINION: The fine selfie picture on Twitter shows Yana 'Yara' Rykhlitska with a cat and dog.  We don't know the back story to life though. It is a far presumption to say she loved animals. The expression on her face is warm. She looks relaxed and at home with the companion animals.

 

Rest in peace.
Medic Yana “Yara” Rykhlitska killed in action near Bakhmut. pic.twitter.com/9T3bO77OEV

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) March 5, 2023

She was 29-years-of-age and described as the 'Angel of the Troops'. She volunteered and became a paramedic and was killed near Bakhmut, the city which has become a significant battleground for the Russians in their so-called big push on the one-year anniversary of the conflict.

She worked at a stabilisation center at Bakhmut and before the war she worked for an insurance company. . This is where the wounded are taken and treated before, as I understand it, being transported out of the area for further treatment. In effect the soldiers are stabilised in preparation for the journey in an ambulance.

It is reported that she was evacuating wounded soldiers. Her ambulance came under fire. 

Yana was enjoying her work. Her friends say that she was doing all she could for her country in achieving a victory against the Russians. Of course, she risked her life and it was taken.

Other medics have vowed to take revenge. One volunteer, Valerii Bahynskyi wrote:

"This is a dark day for all the tactical medics, tactical instructors and soldiers she helped. We will take revenge. Calmly, with cold rage inside, we are doing our job."

An editor of a local newspaper said that they had met her a couple of times at the front and said that she was called the "Angel of the Troops".