Pregnant and on the front line: A Ukrainian Red Cross leader’s story

When war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, Olena Kutsa was five months pregnant. As Russian troops rolled and explosions echoed across the country, the Head of Emergency Response for the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, who was five-months pregnant, left her home - not knowing If she would ever return. Olena moved into her office alongside 25 volunteers. The building became both coordination hub and temporary home as sirens wailed outside. Sleeping bags were laid out on floors. Phones rang constantly. Supplies came and went in a blur of urgency. Four years on, Olena reflects on four long years with a mixture of resolve and quiet disbelief. Her child is now old enough to ask questions about the sirens.