Iryna Vasechko (Knopka)
Sergeant, combat medic of the 125th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade.
Author of the short story “Call Sign Knopka” in the collection “Voices of Defenders, Vol. 1”, where she recounts her first evacuation mission in Bakhmut — the fear and responsibility, working alongside the driver Flash, and the miraculous rescue of wounded soldiers.
The war changed me. I understood the true value of life and what real friendship looks like. Many people who were important to me before the war fell away, but the most resilient and time-tested ones remained. On the front, I met people who became closer than blood relatives. Only there do you realize who truly matters.
Military path
Iryna Vasechko is 26 years old. She was born and lives in Lviv.
She graduated from the Danylo Halytsky Lviv Medical College. Before the war, she worked as an event manager and administrator at an entertainment venue, living a typical young life — spending time with her dog, dreaming, and planning for the future.
With the start of the full-scale war, she joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She served from April 4, 2022, to December 14, 2023 — 1 year and 8 months.
She held positions as a combat medic of a rifle platoon, senior combat medic of a rifle company, and paramedic at a battalion medical post. She completed combat rotations in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions (Bakhmut, Lyman, Serebrianske Forestry).
She was awarded the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s badge “For Preserving Life.”
She recalls an episode that left a strong impression:
Once, an urgent evacuation was needed — not for a person, but for a dog. Our dog, Bushlat, got caught on a fence and tore half of his snout. Together with “Zirochka,” we went to help. The ambulance got stuck in the sand, so we had to cut a tree, pull out the vehicle, and carry the dog in our arms. In the war, we saved not only people but also animals — the veterinary clinic had us as regular clients.
Civilian life
Today, Iryna works as a tactical medicine instructor at the Kruk Tactical Training School in Lviv.
She is a young mother, raising a small daughter.
How she began writing:
It’s important to portray the war in all its aspects. Everyone sees it differently. I wanted to share a bit of my own perspective on the inner world of the war.
Favorite books, music, and films:
I can’t pick just one thing right now. Since the start of the war, new Ukrainian artists have shown that Ukrainian music can sound fresh and multifaceted. So I listen to everything, depending on my mood.
It’s wonderful that we don’t have to depend on the Russian anthem and can enjoy our own native music.
As for films, the Marvel Universe hits me right in the heart.
We will win thanks to the unity of the people, remembrance, and our history. We need to draw conclusions from it so it doesn’t repeat. And, of course, thanks to long‑range weapons — we can’t do without them.