The military explained how to properly extinguish the aggression of war: “You shouldn’t take it out on your neighbors.”

Senior combat nurse of the 412th Nemesis Regiment, Olena Ryzh (Ivanenko), shared her thoughts on the motivation for service in wartime in an interview with the YouTube channel “Voin Voli”. According to her, she is often asked about the reasons for serving. She answers: “If there is a war in the country, then this is my motivation.”

Olena admitted that in 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea and parts of Donbas, she had no desire to serve. In the period before the full-scale invasion in 2022, she focused more on her life, her occupations, her family in the Odessa region, and traveling.

The situation has changed, and now she often hears the question of what is needed for people to wake up. “Some need a light push, and others need a more serious awareness,” the nurse noted. She believes that some are not aware of reality, even when they find themselves at gunpoint.

According to her, it is essential to focus on commonalities with others, rather than worrying about differences. “It is not in what we are different, but in what we are similar, that unites us and allows us to move in the same direction. This builds our future,” Ryzh emphasized.

She also noted that aggression caused by losses, sleepless nights, and fear is essential to direct against the aggressor, and not at neighbors who may differ in their culture or language. Olena called on everyone to fight for justice, while remaining human.