Olena Kurilo was left covered in blood after surviving a missile strike in Ukraine.
An image of Kurilo heavily bandaged began circulating online yesterday, February 24, and has become one of the most striking pictures of the conflict, with the 52-year-old teacher saying she would 'do everything for my motherland' amid the Russian invasion.
Kurilo's home in Chuguev, which sits in the region of Kharkiv, was hit by Russian forces, as they shelled cities across Ukraine, as per the Independent.
The teacher's home was left 'completely destroyed' and she went to hospital after sustaining injuries from shards of glass that hit her face during the missile strike.
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Upon returning, Kurilo noted she was 'very lucky' and that she must have a 'guardian angel' that helped her during the attacks.
Kurilo added that she 'never thought that this would truly happen in my lifetime' and would do everything she could for Ukraine 'with as much energy' as she has.
'I myself am a director, an educator, we studied the history, but we never thought that this would happen on our land', she added.
The news comes as Russian president Vladimir Putin launched missile strikes across Ukraine.
According to residents in Kharkiv, Ukraine‘s second-biggest city, windows were left shaking in apartment blocks from the blasts, while the road heading west from Kyiv was filled with people trying to flee the bombings.
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According to the UN refugee agency 100,000 Ukrainians fled from the conflicts, with thousands heading into their neighbouring countries of Romania and Moldova.
Further blasts were reported from Kyiv on Friday, with a Ukrainian official saying the capital had been hit by missiles.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russian sabotage groups have now entered the capital. In a video statement late last night, Zelensky said: 'According to our information, the enemy marked me as target No. 1, my family, as target No. 2. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state. We have information that enemy sabotage groups have entered Kyiv'.
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Topics: no-article-matching, Russia, Ukraine, World News
