Olena Sharhovska Dies After 2022 Enlistment and Frontline Service in Bakhmut

Yana Zinkevych, commander of the Hospitallers medical battalion, announced on October 24, 2026, the death of Olena "Jane" Sharhovska. Former colleagues at the media outlet Novynarnia also confirmed the news. Sharhovska had served as a paramedic and journalist before joining the military in 2022.

Sharhovska began her career in media, working as a translator, editor, and social media specialist for television and print projects. She contributed to Ukraїner and Osvitoria before shifting her focus to medical aid in 2015. That year, she volunteered with the First Volunteer Mobile Hospital named after Mykola Pyrohov. She later joined the Hospitallers battalion.

Zinkevych described Sharhovska’s military duties as intensive. "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 campaigned for gender equality in the military, co-organizing the Invisible Battalion March in Kyiv in 2016.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Sharhovska was living in Portugal. An injury delayed her return, but she continued to support Ukraine as a volunteer from abroad. She officially joined the armed forces on September 10, 2022, her birthday. She served with the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Her deployments included Bakhmut, Toretsk, and Kharkiv Oblast. In these locations, she performed medical evacuations and trained other service members in tactical medicine. As a member of the Women's Veteran Movement, she advocated for better equipment for female defenders. Health reasons led to her discharge in August 2024.

Novynarnia characterized Sharhovska as "a person of words and travel, with a deep interest in the world and in people." The outlet noted that she maintained her love for language and people despite her hardships. She helped fellow soldiers through fundraising and purchased vehicles for the front. Her personal motto was: "Do what you believe needs to be done, and then come what may."

Bohdan Lohvynenko, founder of Ukraїner and a serviceman, shared memories of their time living in neighboring buildings in Vynohradar. He recalled sitting in their kitchens to discuss editorial matters. Lohvynenko stated that she was an enormous source of support and a driving force behind many processes, while remaining quite harsh toward the unknown.