A 21-year-old Ukrainian Armed Forces woman becomes the cover heroine of Vogue Ukraine: what do we know about her?
Oksana Rubaniak, a platoon commander of one of the Army's brigades, with the call sign "Xena," is the face of the digital cover of Vogue Ukraine Edition 5. Find out more about who the issue was dedicated to and what we know about the Ukrainian defender from the photo
The spring issue of Vogue Ukraine Edition features a large-scale photo essay by British photographer Brett Lloyd - Ukraine Today. Oksana Rubaniak, a 21-year-old commander of one of the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Ivano-Frankivsk region, with the call sign Xena, is the heroine of the digital cover of the spring issue of Vogue.
Photo: Vogue Ukraine
In the photo, a military woman in uniform with long red hair braided looks at the readers. This shot was taken by Brett Lloyd, who visited Ukraine twice as part of the project - in November 2023 and February 2024 - and presented his view of everyday life in Ukraine.
The photographer visited Kyiv, Kharkiv, near the front line in Kostiantynivka, near Kupiansk, and in Toretsk, which was almost wiped off the map. The heroes of Brett's photographs are current and future soldiers, veterans, doctors, priests, students, actors, and ordinary Ukrainians.
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What is Oksana Rubaniak known for on the cover of Vogue?
Oksana Rubaniak "Xena" is a native of Verkhovyna, living in Ivano-Frankivsk. She is currently a commander of a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In civilian life, Oksana worked in the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, was a poet and civic activist.
At the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, she was 19 years old, but she immediately joined one of Ivano-Frankivsk's volunteer units and helped patrol the city to maintain public order.
Since May 2022, she has served as a machine gunner in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Cossacks. It should be noted that she was the only woman in her platoon. "Xena" and her comrades fought in the Bakhmut, Vuhledar and Maryinka areas.
In March 2023, Oksana Rubaniak was injured during an artillery shelling in Vuhledar, Donetsk region. However, after rehabilitation, in early August 2023, the soldier returned to the front.
Read here how many Ukrainian women are participating in the war and what you need to know about their exploits.
The cover of the print Vogue Ukraine
At the same time, the cover of the print issue of Vogue features another shot by Brett Lloyd with Ukrainian model Karina Maziar and cadets from the Ivan Bohun Military Lyceum in Kyiv.
Photo: Vogue Ukraine
However, some users on social media are outraged that it is a model who is on the front cover of the magazine, and not a current member of the Armed Forces.
We remind you! American actress Megan Fox posted a photo online and made an inappropriate "joke" about Ukrainian women, for which she received a barrage of criticism. Read how the Transformers star insulted Ukrainian women and why she was accused of xenophobia in our previous article.
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