To mark International Women’s Day (Sunday 8 March), we look back at a recent visit to the Joint Services Command and Staff College by Viktoriia “Tori” Honcharuk.
As a Ukrainian frontline combat medic, Viktoriia served for two years across Zaporizhzhia, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Lyman, and Kharkiv. She is now Director of Defense Tech at the Snake Island Institute, leading strategic initiatives at the intersection of defence technology, wartime operations, and international cooperation, while focusing on the strengthening long‑term collaboration formats.
During her visit, Viktoriia addressed the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC), speaking about resilience in modern conflict, followed by a Q&A with course members. She later joined Ukrainian officers on the course for lunch, spending time reflecting on the continuing challenges facing Ukraine and the role of international military education.
Accompanied by her sister Maryna, Viktoriia also met with JSCSC director Air Commodore Peter Cracroft, and ACSC course director Captain Charlie Yemm RN. She also saw, for the first time, a portrait of her painted by British artist Max Denison‑Pender.
Viktoriia’s path, from graduating Minerva University, to working in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley in New York, to returning to Ukraine as a volunteer medic, embodies extraordinary service, intellect, and determination.