The Courage and Poetry of Yaryna Chornohuz: A Combat Medic in War

The Courage of Yaryna Chornohuz: A Poet and Combat Medic

In March 2022, amidst the chaos of southeastern Ukraine, Yaryna Chornohuz, a dedicated combat medic and talented poet, found herself at the forefront of a brutal conflict. For several harrowing days, her battalion faced relentless assaults from an advancing column of Russian tanks. Outmatched in terms of firepower, the courageous soldiers managed to fend off the initial two waves of attacks, but the toll was significant; many of their comrades were left wounded or dead.

During one specific moment of crisis, as Ms. Chornohuz worked diligently to bandage the head of a severely injured platoon commander, a third, more ferocious attack broke through their defenses. This forced the Ukrainian troops to execute a hasty retreat, abandoning not only their wounded commander but also other soldiers who were in dire need of medical attention.

“We lost so many good guys that day,” reflected Ms. Chornohuz, now 29 years old. “There was no time to say goodbye to any of them.” After she finally reached a safer village, far removed from the front lines, she felt an overwhelming surge of emotions. In the quiet that followed the chaos, she turned to her poetry, using her phone to capture the poignant feelings that swirled within her.

Her words flowed like a cathartic release:

• Every time you want to be wrong
• About the brightness of those eyes
• The eyes of those who decided one day
• To die in battle
• Are always brighter than others’

Through her poignant verses, Yaryna Chornohuz not only memorialized her fallen comrades but also shed light on the profound emotional landscape of a soldier’s life, intertwining the roles of healer and artist in a time of war.