"I want to be useful": mother of military pilot and Hero of Ukraine to become military chaplain

Nataliia Tarabalka, the mother of deceased military pilot and Hero of Ukraine Stepan Tarabalka, has joined the ranks of military chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Source: The woman has announced the decision in a video posted on Facebook.

"After the death of my son, God touched my heart in a special way, helping me to endure such a heavy loss. I realised that the key support at these times is the presence of God in your life," Nataliia explained the reasons for her decision.

The woman explained that she had already had spiritual experience and had acquired the necessary knowledge to serve as a chaplain.

"I want to be useful not only for my family but also for the military and veterans," said the Hero's mother.

In November 2022, Nataliia Tarabalka founded the Warmth of a Winged Soul health centre in the village of Tseniava in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast for the military and relatives of fallen soldiers.

Nataliia’s son, Stepan Tarabalka, whom Ukrainians considered the Ghost of Kyiv [a mythical ace-pilot protecting Kyiv from Russian air attacks – ed.] for some time, died on 13 March 2022 in an air battle with superior Russian forces in Zhytomyr Oblast. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honoured the pilot posthumously with the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Golden Star Order.

For reference: The spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force noted earlier that the Ghost of Kyiv is a personified image of the pilots of the Vasylkiv 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade who guard the skies of the capital and neighbouring oblasts. In fact, they are all "Ghosts".

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