Only The Brave Find Happiness: Iryna Tsybukh

On May 29, a 25-year-old combat medic with the Hospitallers Medical Battalion, Iryna Tsybukh was killed by a Russian missile.

In Memorium

I didn’t know Iryna but I have met Ukrainians like her. Young women and men who are willing to sacrifice and fight and even die for freedom. I share her story to keep her cause and her memory alive.

Iryna was killed in action while serving as a volunteer just days before her 26^th birthday. She died in the Kharkiv area, where Russian forces two months ago launched a major offensive against Ukrainian troops. Iryna would have turned 26 on June 1^st. She worked as a distinguished Ukrainian journalist and documentarian before the start of the war in 2022.

Thousands of people gathered in Kyiv on June 2nd to honour her memory. The memorial service (photos here) took place in St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral, followed by a procession to Independence Square (Maidan Square) in the capital.

Brave

President Zelensky said, “Iryna was one of those who not only defended the country, but also worked tirelessly to encourage others to join, train, and learn how to be effective. She was deeply involved in frontline medicine, honouring our warriors and memorializing the feats of Ukrainians.

My condolences go out to all of her brothers in arms, friends, and loved ones, as well as to everyone who knew her and was inspired by her to fight for Ukraine and achieve results for our country. It is critical that her efforts, as well as those of all of our fallen heroes, are sustained.”

Frontline Service

Iryna understood the risk of volunteering in frontline service. She wrote a letter to her younger brother to be read in the event of her death.

A portion of the letter reads, “When the day comes, everything is behind me, my life is over and it was important for me to pass it with dignity: to be an honest, kind, loving person. Today we work for heroes and this is a good opportunity to prove our values – to really be that person.”

Her last words were, “To have the strength to be a free person, you must be brave. Only the brave find happiness, and it is better to die running than to live rotting. Be worthy of the deeds of our heroes. Don’t be sad; be brave!”

Those are words to live by. Pray for Ukraine.

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