Hospitallers Medic Olena Sharhovska dies at 46 after 25 months of combat service
The veteran paramedic and former journalist served in Bakhmut and Toretsk before her discharge in August 2024.
By Alina Campbell ·
Olena "Jane" Sharhovska, a veteran of the Hospitallers medical battalion, has died at the age of 46. Yana Zinkevych, the unit's commander, and former colleagues at the media outlet Novynarnia shared the news on Friday.
Sharhovska served on the front line for 25 months before her discharge in August 2024. Her military tenure began on September 10, 2022, which was her birthday. At that time, she was in Portugal and had an injury that delayed her return to Ukraine. She initially supported the country as a volunteer from abroad before officially joining the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Her career in medicine followed a long path in media. From 2015, she worked as a journalist, translator, and editor. She contributed to television and print projects, including work with Ukraїner and Osvitoria. Before her full-time service, she volunteered with the First Volunteer Mobile Hospital named after Mykola Pyrohov. She later joined the Hospitallers, where she mastered tactical medicine.
During her deployment, Sharhovska operated in Bakhmut, Toretsk, and Kharkiv Oblast. Zinkevych stated that Sharhovska evacuated wounded soldiers from the most intense sections of the front line. The commander said she snatched lives from death while moving personnel to stabilization points. Sharhovska also trained other service members in tactical medicine.
Sharhovska advocated for gender equality in the military. As a co-organizer of the 2016 Invisible Battalion March in Kyiv, she helped urge authorities to open male-only positions to women. As a member of the Women's Veteran Movement, she campaigned for proper equipment for female defenders.
Novynarnia described Sharhovska as a person of words and travel with a deep interest in people. The outlet noted that she helped fellow soldiers through fundraising and purchased vehicles for the front. Her motto was to do what she believed needed to be done and then let the consequences follow. Bohdan Lohvynenko, founder of Ukraїner, recalled living in neighboring buildings in Vynohradar and discussing editorial matters in their kitchens. He described her as a driving force behind many processes.
Sharhovska was discharged for health reasons in August 2024. Her death marks the end of a career that spanned journalism, translation, and frontline medical service.
