Ukrainian teacher blinded by Russian missile attack – and saved by generous Mail reader donations – warns Putin’s war is only getting ‘more dangerous every day’

A Ukrainian teacher left blind by a Russian missile attack says the war is ‘becoming more dangerous every day’.

Olena Kurylo, 54, became the face of Vladimir Putin’s brutality when photographers sent graphic images of her bandaged face around the world after the attack in Kharkov on the first day of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The Mail on Sunday sprang into action and helped her escape the war zone to receive specialist treatment in Poland and, months later, in the UK.

The treatment and rehabilitation lasted a year. Although Olena was supported by doctors and journalists, she often suffered from homesickness.

‘The people I met during my treatment journey became my best friends… but when I was abroad I always felt a kind of inner guilt because I was not with my people [Ukrainians]“I really wanted to go home,” she told The Mail on Sunday.

Olena returned to Ukraine last year, but says her daily life has only gotten worse lately.

Olena Kurylo (pictured) became the face of the war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion in 2022

Earlier this month, Okhmatdyt, one of the largest children’s hospitals in Kiev, was hit by a Russian missile, killing two people and injuring more than 50, including seven children.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met world leaders and King Charles V to discuss an international agreement to “stop Russian terror.”

Earlier, Zelensky had said in one of his video speeches that Russian forces had used more than 2,400 bombs in June, of which about 700 were aimed at Kharkov.

Chuhuiv, in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine where Olena is staying, has been under constant Russian attacks for the past three months. She says the weapons are becoming more powerful and the attacks are increasing every day.

Two weeks ago, Olena survived another close-range attack: a heavy projectile landed just 1 km from her home and hit her neighbor’s house. It was the first time she hid in the basement.

Before the war, Olena was a kindergarten teacher and she misses her work. Many families with children left Chuhuiv for safety and the city’s daycare centers closed.

Despite all the difficulties, Olena tries to stay positive and find things to be grateful for. She focuses on trying new hobbies, like listening to audiobooks and gardening, and intense tabata workouts.

As a symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Olena wants to help her country in every possible way.

She is considering going to the front to talk to soldiers and wants to set up a fund to help children orphaned by the war.

She also helps the Ukrainian army with donations: ‘Even if I give just a penny, I feel better.’

Olena was injured in a Russian airstrike on February 24, 2022, two days after the invasion

Now that she has regained her sight thanks to donations from Mail readers, she is considering going to the front to talk to soldiers and wants to set up a fund to help orphans.

She warned that the war is only getting more dangerous (Pictured May 2024)

Olena is convinced that her mission is to remind the world that Ukraine still needs help: “I know that everyone is tired of the war or has gotten used to it, but I ask you to stay with us until the end, until we achieve victory.”

Olena is also tired of the war in her own way. Peace would mean she could finally get a “good night’s sleep” without the terror of rocket attacks.

“As hard as it is, all we have is the here and now, and we have to find inspiration every day,” she said.

‘Our victory is not a question, it is only a matter of time.’