Pregnant and on the front line: A Ukrainian Red Cross leader’s story (opens in new tab)

When war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, Olena Kutsa was five months pregnant. As Russian troops rolled and explosions echoed across the country, the Head of Emergency Response for the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, who was five-months pregnant, left her home - not knowing If she would ever return. Olena moved into her office alongside 25 volunteers. The building became both coordination hub and temporary home as sirens wailed outside. Sleeping bags were laid out on floors. Phones rang constantly...