A Ukrainian woman who four years ago became the ‘Face of the War’ after one of Russia’s first missile strikes on civilians, has challenged Vladimir Putin to dare to meet her.

Olena Kurylo, 56, is a Ukrainian nursery school teacher who suffered horrific eye damage and facial scars in an attack on her apartment in Chuhuiv in February 2022.

Pictures of her bloodied and bandaged face were broadcast around the world after the strike, but four years on, on the anniversary of the start of the war, Olena has challenged the Russian dictator.

‘If I had the chance to meet Putin face to face and look him in the eyes, I would not be afraid,’ she said.

‘But would he be brave enough for that? I would tell him everything I think.’

She went on to say that Putin ‘is not a human being,’ adding that he ‘will go down in history in such a way that generations will curse him.’

Olena went on to tell Putin that Ukrainians cannot be broken and won’t give up.

‘We can be killed, but we cannot be broken, and we cannot be forced to our knees. We are not slaves.’

Olena Kurylo, 56, a Ukrainian nursery teacher whose bloodied and bandaged face, captured in iconic photographs after a Russian missile struck her apartment building in Chuhuiv on the very first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, became one of the earliest and most powerful symbols of the war’s human cost around the world

She has spoken out against Putin on the fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war

Olena insisted: ‘I am not afraid of him. And if I had the chance, I would look at him in a way that would make him understand everything without words.

Olena – who received treatment for her eye in Britain and Poland during the war after the 2022 strike – urged Ukraine’s supporters in Europe to understand that Ukraine was a ‘shield’ between a continent and Russia, and warned of a potential Russian invasion. 

The Ukrainian teacher previously thanked Mail On Sunday readers, who helped her receive treatment in Britain after she was blinded in a Russian missile attack. 

Thanks to Mail Force donations – and £10,000 secured for Olena’s treatment in the UK – world-leading surgeons were able to help her regain her vision. 

‘I am so touched and extremely thankful to every single reader who has contributed,’ she said. 

Olena was injured when a missile exploded outside her home, sending shards of glass from shattered windows into her face. Medics had told her she risked losing her right eye without the surgery.

After a gruelling three-and-a-half-hour operation, Polish doctors restored almost a third of the sight in Olena’s eye, but the results did not last. The best outcome they could offer Olena was 20 per cent vision – and they told her she would need surgery every two to three months for the rest of her life.

Determined to secure a better outcome, The Mail on Sunday sought the help of internationally renowned consultant eye surgeons Sheraz Daya and Tom Williamson at Centre for Sight, a world-leading clinic based in London, Surrey and Sussex.

Olena  received treatment for her eye in Britain and Poland during the war after the 2022 strike

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a meeting of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Board in Moscow, Russia, 24 February 2026

People take part in a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to mark the fourth anniversary of the start of the war, in Zurich, Switzerland, 24 February 2026

After studying Olena’s medical notes, they were confident they could save more of her sight – but at an estimated cost of £10,000.

Thanks to the incredible Mail Force donations, the money was raised within 24 hours. Mail Force launched its Ukraine Appeal within days of Russia’s invasion, and it became the fastest newspaper fundraiser in history.

Donations flooded in, kick-started with £500,000 from the Mail’s parent company, DMGT, at the personal request of Lord and Lady Rothermere.

To enable Olena to travel to the UK, lawyers from the British firm Mishcon de Reya worked for free to secure a visa through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. 

The charity Refugees at Home worked tirelessly to find her a suitable sponsor and host home. Within days, an MoS reporter flew to Poland, accompanied Olena back to London and took her to her host family in North London.

Olena’s remarks come four years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

To mark the anniversary of the bloody conflict, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Russia had not ‘broken Ukrainians’ nor triumphed in its war. 

In a show of support, more than a dozen senior officials headed to the Ukrainian capital to mark the grim anniversary of the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people, upended life for millions of Ukrainians, and created instability far beyond its borders. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska meet troops in Independence Square following the ceremony to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine

To mark the anniversary of the bloody conflict, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Russia had not ‘broken Ukrainians’ nor triumphed in its war. Pictured: (L-R) Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, European Council President Antonio Costa, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal, attend a ceremony at the memorial to the fallen Ukrainian soldiers on Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, 24 February 2026

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Zelensky taunts Putin and reveals his underground bunker in video marking anniversary of Ukraine war

‘Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say: We have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood,’ Zelensky said on social media, adding that Putin has ‘not achieved his goals.’ 

‘He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war,’ Zelensky added. 

Despite the show of defiance, Ukraine has struggled to hold off Russia’s onslaught, and the war has brought widespread hardship for Ukrainian civilians. Russia’s aerial attacks have devastated families and denied civilians power and running water.

Putin made no mention of the anniversary, nor did he say how the war was going when he spoke at a meeting in Moscow of top officials of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, on Tuesday.