Trading Books for a Rifle: The Teacher Who Volunteered in Ukraine

When Russian troops rushed Kyiv, Yulia Bondarenko volunteered to join its defense. She was a middle-school teacher, and had never held a gun. She left her classroom to defend her city.

Recruiting officers asked no questions of the Ukrainian teacher. They handed her a rifle and 120 bullets, and assigned her to a unit expecting to fight in urban combat if the Russian Army broke into Kyiv.

The New York Times followed her journey. Read more

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