A YOUNG British medic was reportedly found dead in her bed in Kyiv, Ukraine where she had been volunteering.
The body of Katherine Mielniczuk, a former chemistry student, is said to have been discovered in the early hours of the morning on Christmas Eve.
FacebookBritish medic Katherine Mielniczuk was reportedly found dead in her bed in Kyiv[/caption]
The body of the former chemistry student is said to have been found on Christmas Eve by members of her unit
FacebookKatherine spent 18 months on the frontline in the war against Russia[/caption]
Ukrainian volunteer organisation Project Konstantin announced the 26-year-old’s tragic death on X, writing: “It is with deep regret that we announce the passing away of @menacemedics.
“We learned of this dreadful news a couple of hours ago and after talks with her family, we have offered to help.
“All we know is that she was discovered in her bed this morning (24 December 2023), the cause of her death at this stage is not being treated as suspicious.”
The group added that any additional information would be released by the relevant authorities at a later date, signing off their post with the words, “Rest in peace, Apache.”
Katherine’s body is said to have been located by members of her unit; it is believed she was serving in the 151st unit of the Special Operations Forces.
According to her social media profiles, Katherine grew up in south-east London and went to a school near Orpington before studying chemistry at Bristol University.
Her family, from Westerham in Kent, said in a statement: “She devoted her life to helping others, as a medic, as a scientist and researcher, and as a friend.
“She volunteered her last 18 months in Ukraine, working in logistical aid and as a combat medic all over the country.
“It is impossible to truly convey what an incredible woman Katherine was or how deeply and widely she was loved and will be missed.
“Kasia is gone, but the endless warmth, love and grace she brought to the world will never be lost.”
A donation fund was set up to assist Katherine’s family by helping them cover the costs of flying to Ukraine and having Katherine’s body returned to the UK.
One person, who called Katherine a “dear friend”, posted in the fund: “I will forever miss our hours-long phone calls, where I could talk to you about anything and everything, and walking dogs from the animal shelter together.”
Another wrote: “At university you were always someone who I could turn to and looked out for me. I’m really going to miss you. I’ll see you when I’m older xx.”
The young woman, who was affectionately known as “Kat” by her peers, is understood to have served in Ukraine as an instructor and combat medic with a group which called itself Menace Medics.
She wrote in a post online: “For the last 18 months, I have been volunteering in Ukraine in a medical and operational capacity (primarily with StaySafeUA).
“Prior to that, I studied chemistry in the UK and worked in acute medicine for 6 years.”
StaySafeUA is a group of people, mostly Ukrainians, who specialise in providing humanitarian and medical assistance to those “living on the frontlines of Russia‘s invasion”.
She added: “At Menace Medics, our goal is to assist the medics on the ground with critical medical equipment and vehicle repairs/fuel, which will transcend our ability to operate, thus saving the lives of courageous foreign combatants and relentless Ukrainian soldiers.”
Katherine’s former boss at the StaySafeUA Andriy Depko told MailOnline: “She did so much for Ukraine in the 13 months she was with us, before she left to be a military paramedic.
“She wanted to be on the very front lines, saving soldiers and using the education and skills she had. She wanted to be there 24/7.
“She wanted to show how brave she was.”
The 26-year-old said that her work and any funds she raised was and would be directed towards treating critically-wounded people and ensuring the 200 foreigners in her unit remained at optimal health.
Her Instagram, Facebook, and X profiles have been made private.
According to MailOnline, she shared on November 28 that she had spent her “first days [in an] ambulance donated for me”.
In a video posted in July, she reportedly gave an interview to a local reporter and told of how she had been working in Bristol when she volunteered to assist in Ukraine as she felt it was her “duty to help”.
She was quoted saying: “I will stay as long as until it’s perhaps not safe to be here or until I need to go back to my brother or my mother.”
Authorities are now trying to establish Katherine’s cause of death. The Sun has reached out to the Foreign Office for comment.
FacebookThe cause of Katherine’s death is not thought to be suspicious[/caption]
FacebookKatherine reportedly previously told a reporter she had been working in Bristol when she volunteered to assist in Ukraine[/caption]
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