Olga Semydyanova, combat medic and mother of 12, was killed by Russian troops - heavy fighting prevents a proper burial

Diana Krechetova

The war that Russia has started in Ukraine continues, ruthlessly, to destroy people's lives.

Another victim was 48-year-old Olga Semydyanova, a native of Zaporizhzhia. As a combat medic, she had served in conflict in the Donetsk region since 2014, saving the lives of fellow Ukrainians while risking her own.

Olga Semydyanova received the title of "mother-heroine" of 12 children, six of whom the family adopted from an orphanage.

Olga's daughters Yulia Volkova, Anna and Oleksandra Semydyanova posted news of their mother's death on their social media pages.

Olga was killed on 3 March, on the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Today marks the 14th day since her death, and her family are still unable to bury her due to heavy fighting in the area.

According to the daughters, the Military Registration and Enlistment Office has not been helpful in speeding up the process.

Anna Semydyanova told "UP. Zhyttya" ("UP Life") that their family does not know who to contact to bring their mother's body home.

"We know where my mother was killed, between which villages, but we don't know which people to contact to bring the body home, we don't even know what happened to her, whether she was buried there or sent to the village for burial," she said. Anna added that their family would be grateful if someone could find out anything about their mother's body.

Olga received the Order of Honour and Glory for her refusal to leave zones of heavy fighting, choosing instead to carry out her duty with her life on the line.

According to her children, Olga constantly strived to help others, up until the last minute of her life.

Olga's daughter Oleksandra remembers her mother warmly and says that she became more and more beautiful every year:

"Every year she became more beautiful, and stronger in every sense. She was so strong that even after having 6 children, she managed to raise adopted children as her own.

On top of that, when the country needed people, she could not stand aside and stepped up to defend Ukraine, a person of many talents, and I don’t care what anyone thinks, this was her choice, no one forced her. Everyone matters during such times.

And after 8 years of dedicated service in the most dangerous situations, my mother Samarska-Semydyanova Olga Oleksandrivna, born on 10 July, 1973, facing death, not abandoning her own people, facing the aggressors, fighting to the end, gave her life."