Ahead of the popular holiday, Sputnik sat down with Natasha and Vera, military medics of Donbass, untypical mothers, who rarely see their kids and see death almost every day.
Vera is a military feldsher, who works with the servicemen arriving from the frontline, a mother of two children.
"There are no medics in our units were taught to work in a war. All of us are civil practitioners. However we have been forced to learn by experience. It is a colossal experience, which has taught me how valuable life is," she told Sputnik.
She further added that for her, there is no such a word as "no" where life and death is concerned.
When there is a military operation, she says, it is very hard to work. Sometimes there could be dozens of wounded. There were too many wounded on January 29, she said. Many were too young – born in 1993-1994.
"You look at them, and start to cry. You want to help them, and you don't know how. It is such a frightening feeling as if it is your own child laying here and you are unable to help. And there is his mother somewhere waiting for him," she told Sputnik.
Vera has two children: a 12-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son.
"My soul is aching for them. I won't survive if anything happens to them… Sometimes I come home only to change, cook something to eat and leave right away. They hug me, crying: "mom, you only just came back."
The army unit has now become her family.
"People here are incredibly humane. Thanks to war we have become closer and stronger. We will certainly win," she told Sputnik.
Half of the military's medics in Donbass are female, she says. Men toughen up at war, while women are able to adapt to difficulties, she adds. Women are able to conceal their pain. They better obey orders and are more responsible.
"The head of our medical unit often tells us that it will be the women who will win this war," she said.
Vera has been awarded two medals: "For Service in Battle" and "Defender of Novorossiya."
"I know that everything will be over someday, we just need to be patient for a while. I hope that it will be all over after Easter. We are fed up with this war, with all the killing. Nobody should die. Nobody needs this war," she said.
Meanwhile, Natasha, another medic, told Sputnik that she does not know how to live on with such an experience when the peaceful life returns, even though everyone is dreaming about peace.
"I never thought that we would live like this, bartering baby stuff for food, for example, for canned stewed meat. A jacket means five cans of stewed meat. We are bartering out of despair, out of poverty. But we support each other and share what we have," she told Sputnik.
There are many female medics in the frontline, she said. All of them persevere, no matter how hard it is. Surprisingly, the beauty industry is still functioning in Donetsk, no matter how frightening it is. You can postpone a war, she said. But beauty needs time.
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