In a powerful week of advocacy in Sydney and Canberra, Yulia ‘Taira’ Paievska – war medic, former Russian captive and Invictus athlete – shared her remarkable story of courage and survival.
Together with the Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko, and supported by the AFUO, Taira met Assistant Minister Veterans Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite, NSW Health Minister Gerard Hayes, Australian Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham, Co-Chair of the Australia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group Senator Linda Reynolds, Senator Jacqui Lambie, Sussan Ley MP, members of the Federal Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, Invictus Australia and paramedics at the Health Services Union.
Taira met with members of the Sydney Ukrainian community and spoke at the Ukrainian Council of NSW Holodomor commemoration, kneeling to pay her respects to Holodomor survivor, Pani Klara Djachenko.
In a moving ceremony at the Australian War Memorial, Taira also laid a wreath for Colonel Serhiy Ilnytsky, the fallen defender of Ukraine, and Captain of the Ukrainian National team at the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney.
Thank you Taira – you have inspired us to keep fighting for what we know is right – the fight against evil and for Ukraine’s future and freedom.
Check out how the Australian media covered Taira’s visit in our Newsroom: https://afuo.org.au/media/in-the-news/
