‘Playboy’ Spotlights Assassination Survivor On 1st Ukraine Issue Since Invasion

In the first issue to hit the printing press since the invasion of Ukraine, Playboy has elected to feature model, mother of three, and television presenter Iryna Bilotserkovets on its front. Clad in an eye patch and metal bikini, this cover star was the survivor of an assassination attempt in Kyiv.

Bilotserkovets was the victim of a plot to kill her politician husband, who works as an aide to the Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko. She suffered bullet shots that resulted in four operations, leaving her with a missing eye, broken jaw, and scars all over her body.

Since then, she has become a public symbol of the resistance in the country, working with the forces to organize events for soldiers on the ground. As per B&T, the proceeds from this special edition of Playboy will be donated to emergency funds for medical equipment within the Ukrainian army.

In the interview for the magazine, Bilotserkovets recounted her traumatizing experience, recalling the shock of seeing her own reflection after the multiple surgeries. However, she emphasized that it was never a question of “preserving” her beauty but staying alive.

The special release is part of Playboy’s Women Stay Strong campaign, which aims to shine the spotlight on the “resilience of Ukranian women who have been injured during the war but who have not lost their thirst for life.”

[via B&T and The Telegraph, images via Playboy Ukraine]