«One day I almost died twice from Russian shelling»: a rescuer from Ochakiv about her service during the war
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- Darina Melnychuk
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15:10, 13 March, 2025
Nataliia Nikitina, a rescuer from Ochakiv district. Photo: SESNataliia Nikitina, a lifeguard from Ochakiv, shared the story of how she almost became a victim of Russian shelling one day.
The Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Mykolaiv region writes about the rescuer's service during the full-scale invasion.
Nataliia Nikitina said that she was on duty in the unit when the Russian military launched a massive shelling on New Year's Eve 2023. She almost died twice that day.
«I was on duty in the unit — I was working as a dispatcher at the time. The guard and I wished each other a Happy New Year.» The occupiers also began to greet us «with massive shelling. The firefighters went to respond to calls — there were many of them, and I was left alone in the unit. Around one in the morning, it hit the unit. It was scary, but fortunately, I was in a shelter, so I was not injured», recalls Nataliia Nikitina.
She added that this was not the last test of her fate that day. When she returned home, she saw that her apartment had been damaged by the shelling. She also saw one of the metal fragments stuck in the blanket on her bed, in the very place where she would have slept if she hadn't been at work.
«I can't remember what my emotions were at that moment, but I know for sure that I was grateful to be alive», she says.
Natalia Nikitina notes that over the past three years, Ochakiv district has seen a lot of pain and destruction. She remembers how people died from shelling, houses were destroyed, fields and forests burned. The woman is sure that retribution for this will not be delayed, as every action has consequences.
She added that her team continues to work for the sake of people and their rescue.
It should be noted that Ochakiv and the neighbouring communities are regularly shelled by the Russian army. For example, on 12 March, a FPV kamikaze drone struck the town of Ochakiv.