Nadiya Savchenko

Nadiya Savchenko 2017 warsaw (cropped)

Nadiya Savchenko 2015.jpg Savchenko in 2015

Nadiya Viktorivna Savchenko (Ukrainian: Надія Вікторівна Савченко; born 11 May 1981) is a Ukrainian politician and former military pilot. She is known for her service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and her subsequent political career.

Early life and education

Nadiya Savchenko was born in Kyiv, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was then part of the Soviet Union. She attended the Kharkiv Air Force University, where she trained to become a military pilot.

Military career

Savchenko served as a pilot in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. She gained international attention during the War in Donbas when she was captured by pro-Russian separatists in June 2014. She was subsequently handed over to Russian authorities and put on trial in Russia, accused of involvement in the deaths of two Russian journalists. Her trial and imprisonment were widely condemned by the international community, and she was seen as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

Political career

While imprisoned in Russia, Savchenko was elected to the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, as a member of the Batkivshchyna party. She was released in May 2016 as part of a prisoner exchange and returned to Ukraine, where she continued her political career. She later founded her own political party, the Social and Political Platform of Nadiya Savchenko.

Awards and recognition

Savchenko has received several awards for her service and bravery, including the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Gold Star.

See also

• Ukrainian Armed Forces
• War in Donbas
• Verkhovna Rada
• Batkivshchyna
• Social and Political Platform of Nadiya Savchenko