Anastasia Vistorobska, a Russian national who once designed embroidery for Chanel and Givenchy in Paris, now works as a combat medic for Ukraine's armed forces on the front line of the war with Russia. She says the Russian president is afraid of her: "Putin is scared of the Legion of Russia which means he is scared of me."
From Paris fashion houses to the front line
Less than five years ago, Vistorobska's life was glamorous and safe, working in Paris for two of the world's best-known fashion houses. Today, she works as a combat medic treating comrades close to the front line, a role she has held for more than two-and-a-half years.
Her story is remarkable because of her nationality: she is Russian and has volunteered to risk her life fighting against her homeland. The work is physically and mentally exhausting, and she fought back tears discussing the recent death of a close comrade. "The constant death is terrible. It builds up and it makes me sad and angry. I have seen 42 comrades go on a mission but only 38 came back," she reflected.
There are rewarding days too. "On one occasion, a wounded soldier passed on a message through a comrade: 'Thank you for saving my life.' That was very inspiring. I am fortunate, too, that I have never had anyone die in my arms."
A decision triggered by Bucha
On February 24, 2022, when Russia began its all-out invasion, Vistorobska was sleeping in a house in rural France when friends messaged that the war had started. "They all said the same: that Ukraine was under bombardment. My immediate reaction was: 'this cannot be happening!'".
At that time, aged 36, she had lived in France for 15 years, working for the last seven in fashion for Chanel and Givenchy. With friends and relatives in Ukraine, she visited the country twice a year. "After the all-out invasion, I wanted to join the Ukrainian army straight away but I felt helpless. I was conscious that I had a Russian passport and no previous military experiences. I feared that I would be useless and that no one would take me seriously. But I do have an ability to act decisively. I wanted to go and start killing these invaders."
The Russian massacre of some 500 people at Bucha, near Kyiv, in March 2022, was the final straw. "For me, this was the most horrific moment of the whole war," she said. She wrote to a military committee in Ukraine explaining: "I know I am Russian but I want to go and defend Ukrainian children. Can you please accept me?" Her offer was rejected, but friends advised her to look into the Freedom of Russian Legion, Russians fighting against their homeland. "I looked at their videos and documentaries and I was astounded by the way they thought and spoke. They seemed to be the best of people and, four years on, having met them, I still feel the same."
Training and service in Ukraine
Fearing she was too old and too weak, Vistorobska spent six months getting fitter and stronger before going to Texas for a two-month military training course. She passed a long vetting procedure and joined the legion. "The process is strict: Every potential recruit's background is scrutinised down to the smallest detail to completely eliminate any possibility of FSB [Russian security] infiltration," she said.
In February 2024, on the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion, she arrived in Ukraine and underwent four months of training at a secret location. "It was horrible – really, really hard – but at the end of it I could shoot five different weapons and I learnt a lot about the battlefield and communications. I also learnt medical skills and evacuation techniques."
At the end of training, she chose to work as a combat medic and is now head of a tactical evacuation team, typically operating some six miles from the front line. The aim is that an injured soldier receives basic first aid and is evacuated by comrades to receive fuller medical attention from combat medics in safer locations.
Fighting against her homeland
Asked how she felt fighting a war against her homeland, Vistorobska said: "I prefer to judge people on their actions rather than their passport. People either do good things or bad things and I want to be on the side of right versus wrong. Stealing land, killing civilians, harming children – they are all wrong."
She considers it more dangerous to be in Kyiv on leave than near the front line, as the capital is hit almost daily by ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. "In the warzone, I am wearing body armour, I am surrounded by comrades, I am always on alert and I trust my commanders to keep me safe. But in Kyiv this summer I was sleeping in my pyjamas on the 14th floor of an apartment building when the area was being hit by missiles and drones. That was terrifying."
Her worst times come when comrades are killed or wounded. "When you hear someone screaming [for help] on the radio that's probably one of the hardest moments," she said.
Art, memory, and the future
Vistorobska, who left Russia aged 23, has signed a three-year contract with the legion. She does not know if she will stay longer because she yearns to return to her artistic roots. She creates artistic projects, including art works from the uniforms of dead soldiers and their belongings, intended as a memorial to their sacrifice, and hopes to exhibit her work.
"I am soaked in the stories of my comrades, their chivalry and bravery," she said. "But what upsets me is that after they die in battle and are cremated, no one [from their family] will come and visit their grave. So I hope my work will commemorate their death, their memory. The huge power of war and art often go hand in hand."
For security reasons, she prefers not to discuss family details, but says all her family members, including her mother, now live outside Russia, which is why she can be identified by name. "I am not scared by the reality that I might get killed. I am just proud to have done a little bit to make the situation better for Ukrainians."
Her hatred of the Russian president is absolute: "He is one of the biggest war criminals in history. He has been compared to Hitler but he is much worse than Hitler. Putin is destroying Russia even more horribly than he is Ukraine. He stole my pride and my joy at being Russian. He has stolen the right of the Russian language to be the beautiful language it once was."
Now aged 41, she is engaged to a Russian man who also serves in the legion. She says Ukrainians have been largely supportive of her and other Russians fighting for their cause, but added: "If a Ukrainian was to spit in my face, I would not say a word because I would understand the anger. The reality is that Russia owes a huge debt to Ukraine."
