Ukrainian female sniper interview: Olena Bilozerska’s story

October 12, 2017October 16, 2025

38-year-old Olena Bilozerska, a sniper of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, shows a video. It’s part of a Ukrainian female sniper interview that captures the calm precision behind her work. On the screen is a recording from the thermal imaging scope of Olena’s rifle. Small, almost cartoon-like, little men stand out as bright spots against the dark background. “Enemy SRG¹”, Olena comments. In the video, a quiet pop — and one of the figures falls. A second pop — and another target is hit. Then — a pause. “While the evacuation of the wounded is ongoing, I don’t shoot”, Olena says. “Is this a rule that always applies?”, I ask. “At least I observe it”, she says.

Olena became a sniper recently. Before the war, she was engaged in journalism and organized the agency “Next to You.” Everything changed in 2014 — Olena went to the front as a volunteer. 3.5 years on the front line are capable of, to put it mildly, tiring anyone. She says she will stay at war as long as her health allows. And thinking about a future child wouldn’t hurt either… Although Olena doesn’t like purely “profile” questions (such as “how does a woman organize her daily life at war”). Actually, there’s plenty to talk about with her even without them.

Ukrainian female sniper interview, bad “profile” questions:

— Is it hard for a woman to be at the front in a male team?

There are difficulties, of course. Probably, if I were in no way inferior to male fighters, there would be no difficulties or there would be fewer. But that’s not the case. I’m significantly weaker physically, I run poorly. Therefore, I constantly have to fight for my right to fight, and not sit in front of a monitor at the base. I don’t rush to get into combat missions that are clearly beyond my strength, so as not to become a burden to the guys. But give them free rein — they wouldn’t take me on combat missions at all. They protect me very much.

— You say that even at war you continue to film, write, cover, but without journalistic status, which I have no right to. There’s always an action camera mounted on your helmet.

Well, first of all, this is documentation for history. I have great reverence for this God-given opportunity — to be at the epicenter of historical events and record them for the future. I feel: “who, if not me?” And if we “lower the temperature” a bit — I’m thinking of editing a documentary film after the war. It’s also memory personally for me and my brothers-in-arms — I’m a sentimental person and I love to review old photos for a long time. Of course, I try to minimize possible danger — I never publish what is a military secret (like photos tied to terrain until they become outdated), I don’t drag my archives with me on combat missions where they can fall into unwanted hands, and I hide them well in general.

The Reality of Orders

— Your colleague journalist Valeria Burlakova quotes an order from one of the combat commanders: “don’t open fire until there are 200s²” As a volunteer, it’s obviously easier for you because you encounter “army idiocy” to a lesser extent? Are such orders mandatory for everyone?

Unfortunately, all this applies to us too. We’re with the Armed Forces at the same positions, and they’re responsible for these positions. If “forbidden” fire is conducted from the positions, they’ll be punished for it. We can’t set them up. By the way, recently they introduced large monetary fines for fire during the ceasefire.

Of course, everyone will violate and continue to violate these prohibitions — both ours and the enemy, as soon as they have such an opportunity — because at war it can’t be otherwise. If, for example, at night you don’t make shots in the direction of enemy positions, the enemies can sneak up and attack us. Because you can’t observe continuously in any night vision device or especially thermal imager.

Becoming a Sniper: Patience and Stubbornness

— Olena, you’re a sniper. Did you choose this “specialization” yourself? Why? How much time did training take?

I shot quite well even before the war. Well, quite well, for a person who was never taught this. I always wanted to become a sniper, especially since I have the appropriate character — I have simply phenomenal patience and stubbornness. But it was a long journey. At first there was no rifle. Then there was no opportunity to regularly go to the shooting range because it’s far, and we have eternal problems with transport. But yes, I learned little by little from experienced brothers-in-arms, read literature. Somehow I still learned, but I still don’t know more than I know. I still have a lot to learn, it’s a very long process.

— In your blog you wrote that women make better snipers because “they have much more endurance.” Did you have a psychological barrier when you first had to shoot at living targets?

There was no such moment. It seems to me that all those psychological barriers are a myth invented by civilians. We’re not executioners and not murderers. We only shoot at armed people. If not me him, then he me, or someone from my brothers-in-arms. Awareness of this automatically removes all hesitation and doesn’t allow losing a single moment. Saw the enemy — shoot, because in a second the enemy will hide and perhaps this evening will kill one of ours.

The feeling from hitting the target is very similar to the feeling from shooting at the range when you manage to hit the target well, at a long distance, or in difficult conditions: “I’m doing great today! I can do it!”

War Companions: Two Dogs and a Cat

— Two dogs and a cat “fight” with you. Is this for psychological relief?

Probably so, but I don’t think like that. I just love them. We picked up Efka as a small puppy after another move to a new base — just to have a dog at the base. A few months later she got sick with enteritis, and a sense of responsibility didn’t allow me to abandon her. Efka spent a week under IVs and after that became “mama’s dog.” We try not to be separated for long. The whole unit loves her very much. When she was wounded, they saved her like a human fighter, took her to the hospital at night.

And Shkavus was born at our base. In bitter frost, from a stray “sweeper dog.” I placed the puppies all over Ukraine, and he was so small and weak that he might not have survived the journey. I decided to let him grow a bit and “grew him up” to the point that I got a second dog. Efka is gentle, and this one is mean, barks at everyone, recognizes only me. They don’t love him much for this, but no stranger will come close.

Cat Silver is also a “foundling,” found as a small kitten at night on the highway — obviously slipped out of the owners’ car during a stop. This is an incredibly beautiful and gentle child who goes with me and the dogs on walks for several kilometers, like a third dog. He considers himself part of the dog pack and misses when separated from “brother” and “sister.” And at the same time, he cleared our base of mice and rats.

Notes:

This Ukrainian female sniper interview was conducted in 2017 during of the war in eastern Ukraine.

¹SRG – Sabotage and Reconnaissance Group.

²200th (dvukhsotyi) – in Ukrainian Army slang means KIA (Killed in Action).