For the first time, a woman in the National Guard of Ukraine has been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. The honor was given to Oleksandra Davydenko, known by the callsign “Vyrva.” The announcement was made by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko during a ceremony marking the National Guard’s professional holiday.
Before the full-scale invasion, Davydenko worked as a journalist in radio and television. She later changed her career path and became a machine gunner. Since 2024, “Vyrva” has been fighting on the Donetsk front as part of the Svoboda Battalion. Her fellow soldiers note that she held frontline positions for months at a time in some of the most intense areas of combat.
Oleksandra Davydenko is currently continuing her service within the Main Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine.
