05/07/2025
Anastasia “Phoenix” Savka, a servicewoman who lost her leg during combat duty, has become the first female veteran to appear on the cover of the Ukrainian edition of Playboy. Her story is one of five featured in the “Beauty with a Scar” photo project, dedicated to women who have suffered serious injuries as a result of Russian aggression.
The author of the sensual and at the same time strong photos was military photographer Konstantin Liberov. The heroines – both military and civilian – appeared in front of the camera without retouching, with prostheses, scars and deep internal wounds. The key symbol of the photo shoot is a mirror, which personifies acceptance of oneself in a new body after trauma. The cover of the May issue of Playboy appeared on Instagram .
Anastasia Savka appeared during the photo shoot in two looks – a delicate nude and a charismatic red. However, she appeared on the cover of the magazine in a carmine dress.
This special issue of Playboy seeks to redefine the notion of beauty and femininity in wartime. According to official data , as of October 2024, there are over 1.3 million veterans in Ukraine, including about 300,000 with injuries or disabilities.
“Each of the five stories is unique, complex, and at the same time touching and not accidental. After all, for all the heroines, self-love is a marathon over an indefinite distance, sometimes through pain and the struggle with society’s reaction,” the project’s press service reported to OBOZ.UA.
Previously, OBOZ.UA wrote that Olya Polyakova starred for the cover of Playboy and impressed the network with her figure at the age of 46. The singer emphasizes: the main secret of a perfect body is hard work and self-discipline.
I think this is a great thing for Playboy to do. It highlights the fact that it is also women soldiers who are suffering injuries in this war, and even pretty ones, and it kind of honors them this way.
I salute Anastasia and all her comrades.