25-year-old sniper with amputated leg determined to recover and continue defending Ukraine and her son's futur
Anastasia Savka, a sniper with the call sign “Phoenix,” lost her leg when she hit an enemy mine but, despite her injury, she remains determined to fight the enemy and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center.
Before the war, 25-year-old Savka, who is from Lviv, raised her son and worked as an administrator at a car service center. She joined the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) as a sniper immediately after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Savka believes she was born to be a sniper because she has a steely character with no room for fear or weakness. As part of the 118th Brigade, she fought in the Zaporizhzhya sector and, during her 18 months of service, saw the price of freedom measured in the lives of fallen defenders.
In Nov. 2023, Savka was injured by a mine, with the shrapnel severely injuring her right leg. Her comrades immediately bandaged her and took her to a stabilization center. Unfortunately, her injuries were too severe, and the leg could not be saved.
Savka went from hospital to hospital and, finally, to the UNBROKEN Rehabilitation Center in her hometown of Lviv. As her wounds heal, Savka is working with physical and psychotherapists.
Her five year old son, Yarema, who has been raised by Savka’s parents since she enlisted, is also in Lviv visiting his mother.
"My son Yarema associates Ukraine with war,” Savka says.
“He is very young and in a relatively safe place, so while here he almost thinks he is in another country. He often says that he is afraid of growing up, going to Ukraine and dying. I don't want him to live in constant fear and shudder at the sound of sirens. I have to guarantee his safety and his future.”
Savka says she will do everything possible to return to the front and continue defending her country for the sake of her child's future.
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