Ukrainian feminist and anti-authoritarian activist Ivanka "Haika" Kutsenko (33), originally from Donbas, was killed in action.
⬛️On the night of October 1, it became known that our comrade Ivanka “Haika” Kutsenko was killed by Russian artillery fire while moving to a combat position.
She was 33 years old.
Kutsenko served as a senior combat medic in the 39th Separate Marine Brigade.
She was originally from Rubizhne in Luhansk region (Donbas). Her native town was occupied by Russia in 2022 when the full-scale invasion started.
⬛️ Comrades remember Haika as an anarchist, feminist, and vegan who took part in anti-authoritarian projects and initiatives in Kharkiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Lviv, and beyond.
She gave lectures, wrote articles and fairy tales, published samizdat materials, researched landfills and the communities living around them, and travelled extensively.
At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ivanka worked on humanitarian projects helping women and children from frontline areas.
⬛️She later joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and served in the Marines.
Haika carved her own path through the prejudices and sexist barriers of the military system, eventually serving alongside her comrades on difficult combat missions.
I felt that I would keep hammering away at this rock, and eventually it would bring results.
By her example, she inspired and supported other women who wanted to join the military.
⬛️
She was the embodiment of inspiration and resistance: sincere, stubborn, and full of life.
Ivanka "Haika" Kutsenko
26.06.1993 - 01.10.2026