Lana Chornohorska

Lana Chornohorska
Лана Чорногорська
Chornohorska in 2025
Personal details
Born(1999-09-13)13 September 1999
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Died1 January 2026(2026-01-01) (aged 26)
Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine
Cause of deathKilled in action
OccupationJournalist, artist, soldier
NicknameSati
Military service
AllegianceUkraine
Branch/service Ukrainian Volunteer Army
Unit Udachnyky
Battles/warsRussian invasion of Ukraine  †

Lana Evgeniivna Chornohorska (Ukrainian: Лана Євгеніївна Чорногорська; 13 September 1999 – 1 January 2026), nicknamed Sati, was a Ukrainian journalist, artist and queer anarchist. She contributed to the magazine Liuk in Kharkiv, participated in the Ukrainian anarchist movement and engaged in the country's queer struggles. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she joined the Ukrainian Volunteer Army as a drone operator and was killed by a Russian drone strike.

Life and career

Lana Chornohorska was born in Zaporizhzhia on 13 September 1999. Around the age of 17, while already working as a journalist, she was noted by Ukrainian journalist Bohdan Lohvynenko for her assertive character; she was reportedly very demanding regarding the images taken by the journalism team, often being dissatisfied with the quality of the shots. A month later, she left her home to attend Book Forum Lviv; she then lived for a time at Lohvynenko's home in Kyiv, as he made his house available to her while he was away filming.

Chornohorska joined the anarchist and LGBT movements, being non-binary herself. She described her activism as "a large part of her world". She was also an artist and pursued a career in journalism across several locations, including Kharkiv, Lviv, and Kyiv. She was particularly fond of Kharkiv, which she called the city of her heart. Chornohorska, who studied in Dnipro for a time, began working for the Ukrainian magazine Liuk in 2020–2021, a publication based in Kharkiv.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she joined the Ukrainian Volunteer Army and became involved in both drone training and active drone combat duties. In 2024, she joined the Udachnyky [uk] unit and was noted for often leading the most dangerous missions.

On 1 January 2026, at the age of 26, Chornohorska was killed on the front in a Russian drone strike. Her funeral was held on 6 January. It was announced that her body would be repatriated for burial.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "На фронті загинула військова, журналістка та мисткиня Лана Чорногорська" [Soldier, journalist, and artist Lana Chornohorska died at the front]. Chytomo (in Ukrainian). 5 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Pyrig, Volodymyr (2 January 2026). "На фронті загинула військовослужбовиця Лана «Саті» Чорногорська" [Servicewoman Lana "Sati" Chornohorska died at the front]. Hromadske Radio (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "«Командир вирішив мене позбутися»: дискримінація у війську – ризик для України | Хтось когось любить". YouTube (in Ukrainian). Громадське радіо NextGen. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Bunyak, Valeriya (6 January 2026). "У Києві попрощалися з військовою, мисткинею і журналісткою Ланою Чорногорською" [Kyiv bids farewell to military woman, artist, and journalist Lana Chornohorska]. detector.media (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Kishkovsky, Sophia (9 January 2026). "More artists killed in Ukraine as anniversary of full-scale Russian invasion approaches". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 Nikolaevska, Olena (2 January 2026). "На війні загинула доброволиця Лана «Саті»" [Volunteer Lana "Sati" died in the war]. Nakypilo.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Karplyuk, Dzvenislava, ed. (3 January 2026). "Artist and journalist Lana "Sati" Chornohorska dies at the front". Kommersant. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Oliynyk, Tetyana (2 January 2026). "Servicewoman and activist Lana Chornohorska killed by Russian drone on line of contact". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Nuzhnenko, Serhiy (6 January 2026). "«Відважна і ціннісна». Прощання із бійчинею УДА Ланою Чорногорською у Києві" ["Brave and Valuable." Farewell to UDA fighter Lana Chornohorska in Kyiv]. Radio Liberty (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 8 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.