Who are the Witches of Bucha, the volunteer defence unit protecting Ukraine’s skies?- The Week

The Witches of Bucha are a volunteer air defence unit consisting of women, who are helping to protect Ukraine’s skies amid war with Russia. Keeping their fight on, these women are fierce and ready to go to any extent for their country.

Under many tasks levied on them, shooting down drones from Russia is the main one. Recalling the experience, Valentyna, a veterinarian who joined the unit, told BBC that she has seen her friends and loved ones die in the battle.

“I’m 51, I weigh 100 kg, I can’t run…the kit’s heavy, but we women can do it,” she said.

Before launching a missile strike, hundreds of drones are fired by Russia to overwhelm the main defences.

Also, there are night-time shifts, especially for working women. There are teachers, doctors, engineers and even manicurists among the troop.

Many opine that women have volunteered to join the war in order to overcome the powerlessness they felt when Russian forces occupied the Bucha region at the start of the full-scale invasion.

It was only after the Ukraine forces freed the area at the end of March 2022 that the killings, torture and abductions stopped in the regions.

The team consists of mostly women, except for Serhiy, the only man on the team.

Since summer, the Witches have downed three drones using ancient weapons.

The machine guns used are from another era. Two Maxims made in 1939, ammunition boxes stamped with red stars from Soviet days, said Serhiy.

However, there is no public data on the total number of volunteer units or how many women are involved.

The volunteers’ commander is Colonel Andriy Verlatyy, who got back from Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region.

He used to have around 200 men operating mobile air defence units in the Bucha region and patrolling during the nightly curfew, many of them unfit for full military service.

The Witches spend their weekends undergoing broader military training. Their first lesson on storming a building is when the commander visits the team, reported BBC.

Some manage to look more convincing than others, but the women’s commitment and focus are clear as their reasons for doing this are deep and personal.