Olena Sharhovska: From journalist to frontline medic

Olena Sharhovska has died, according to a confirmation from Yana Zinkevych, the commander of the Hospitallers medical battalion.

Sharhovska was 46 when she joined the military in September 2022 and remained at that age at the time of her death. She had a long career in media before turning to medical service, working as a journalist, translator, and editor for both print and television outlets. Her work included contributions to the projects Ukraїner and Osvitoria. In 2015, she began volunteering on the front line with the First Volunteer Mobile Hospital named after Mykola Pyrohov. She later joined the Hospitallers, where she specialized in tactical medicine.

Zinkevych described Sharhovska's role in combat zones as a rescue mission in the most dangerous areas. "Having mastered tactical medicine, Jane went to evacuate the wounded from the hottest sections of the front line, snatching the lives of our soldiers from the jaws of death on the way to stabilisation points," Zinkevych said. Sharhovska also advocated for gender equality in the military. She was a co-organiser of the Invisible Battalion March in Kyiv in 2016, a protest demanding that military positions be open to women. As a member of the Women's Veteran Movement, she later pushed for better equipment for female defenders.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Sharhovska was in Portugal. An injury delayed her return to Ukraine, during which time she served as a volunteer from abroad. She formally enlisted on 10 September 2022, her birthday, into the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Her deployments included the sectors of Bakhmut, Toretsk, and Kharkiv Oblast. In these locations, she performed medical evacuations and trained other service members in tactical medicine. Health issues led to her discharge in August 2024.

Former colleagues at Novynarnia described her as a person who valued words, travel, and deep engagement with the world. The outlet noted that she continued to support fellow soldiers through fundraising efforts and by purchasing vehicles for the front. Her personal motto, shared by the outlet, was to do what she believed needed to be done and then accept whatever followed. Bohdan Lohvynenko, founder of Ukraїner and a neighbor of Sharhovska in Vynohradar, recalled their discussions on editorial matters. He described her as a source of support and a driving force, noting that she remained harsh in her judgment of the unknown.

The Hospitallers and Novynarnia have publicly acknowledged her death. No further details regarding the cause of death have been released by her family or the military command.