On June 5, 2025, in the Pokrovsk sector, Kateryna “Meow” Troyan — a bright, talented, and unbreakable Ukrainian — was killed in action. She was only 32 years old. Her life became an example of how strength of spirit and love for Ukraine can lead a person to the highest sacrifice.
For Kateryna, sport was a source of strength and freedom, a space where her will was forged. She trained professionally in track and field under the renowned coach Iryna Pustovoit, alongside Ukrainian high-jump stars Yuliya Levchenko and Iryna Herashchenko. Challenges drew her in: the ski trails of the Carpathians, the steep slopes of the Alps, the summit of Mount Ararat, the peaks of Andorra. She adored snowboarding, practiced yoga and climbing, and loved to test the limits of her own abilities. In sport, Kateryna learned the greatest lesson — to overcome herself and to go all the way.
Her life might have been very different. She had degrees in programming and journalism, worked at an international IT company, traveled the world freely, and built a promising career with every comfort. But after Russia’s invasion, she felt it was not enough. First came volunteering — helping fellow athletes and soldiers — and then a conscious decision to take up arms in defense of her country. In the spring of 2024, Kateryna took the oath and joined the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade.
Her call sign, “Meow,” was born playfully — from the cat-eared sunhat she liked to wear. But in time it became a symbol: in the sky, “Meow” was a relentless huntress. In just a year and a half of service, she carried out more than a thousand combat sorties, striking the enemy near Vovchansk, in the Kursk sector, and around Pokrovsk. She not only piloted drones but also reprogrammed them, learned to solder and assemble equipment. Her IT background became invaluable in a unit where many older soldiers struggled with modern technology.
Her commanders and comrades remember her as an equal among equals — without arrogance, without fear, always ready to help. Together they endured artillery barrages, airstrikes, and enemy drone attacks. “Meow came to war to be a true professional. She was a teammate who cared, who never stood aside,” wrote her brothers-in-arms from the strike UAV company.
At the same time, she remained the same young woman who loved life. Tall, slender, with bright blue hair, wearing a funny kigurumi or her cat-eared hat — she shone among people. Her friends called her the sun of every company: Katya was always there to cheer, to laugh, to radiate energy. On her arm was a tattoo reading Happiness is a choice. And she truly chose happiness — even in the midst of war.
Kateryna Troyan became one of the most renowned Ukrainian women warriors. Her portrait was featured in the international photo exhibition Women Defending Ukraine in London, presented by Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The ambassador and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine called her an example of professionalism and courage.
But even the strongest cannot always withstand deadly enemy fire. On June 5, 2025, while on a combat mission in the Pokrovsk sector, Kateryna was gravely wounded. She was brought alive to the Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro, but could not be saved. The wound was fatal — she died the next day, despite the doctors’ desperate efforts to preserve her life.
The farewell took place in Kyiv, at St. Michael’s Cathedral. Comrades, friends, and loved ones lit dozens of colorful flares — so that her farewell would be as bright as her life.
Today her story has become a symbol — of tenderness and resilience, femininity and strength, sport and war. She dreamed of rebuilding Ukraine, of creating a family, of raising children. Her life was cut short far too early, but her sacrifice will live forever.
Kateryna “Meow” Troyan is the embodiment of young Ukraine — yearning for freedom and ready to fight for it. Her name lives on in people’s hearts. A petition to award her the title Hero of Ukraine has gathered tens of thousands of signatures. Kateryna’s story is the story of our struggle, our resilience, our choice.
Glory and honor to the woman warrior. Eternal memory to the defender of Ukraine.