Liudmyla Shuhalei
{{short description|Ukrainian major general}}
{{Family name hatnote|Mykolaivna|Shuhalei|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Liudmyla Shuhalei
| native_name = Людмила Миколаївна Шугалей
| native_name_lang = uk
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|3|21|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Chernihiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
| allegiance = Ukraine
| branch = Security Service of Ukraine
| serviceyears = 1995–present
| rank = Major general
| commands = Military Medical Department of the Security Service of Ukraine
| alma_mater = Kyiv Medical University
}}
Liudmyla Mykolaivna Shuhalei ({{langx|uk|Людми́ла Микола́ївна Шугале́й}}; born 21 March 1965) is a Ukrainian major general currently serving as director of the Military Medical Department of the Security Service of Ukraine. She is Ukraine's first military female general and second female general overall (after {{ill|Tetiana Podashevska|uk|Подашевська Тетяна Леонтіївна}} of the Militsiya), having been appointed in 2018.
Biography
Liudmyla Mykolaivna Shuhalei was born on 21 March 1965{{Cite news |date=15 October 2018 |title=Наша сучасниця – перша жінка український військовий генерал |trans-title=Our modern times: the first female Ukrainian military general |url=https://bastion.tv/nasha-suchasnicya-persha-zhinka-ukrayinskij-vijskovij-general_n28057 |access-date=3 March 2024 |work=Last Bastion |language=uk}} in the city of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine (though other sources have incorrectly described her as being from Kyiv). She graduated From Kyiv Medical University (now Bogomolets National Medical University) and worked in the civilian sector before joining the Security Service of Ukraine as a therapist in 1995.{{Cite news |last=Moskvychova |first=Anastasia |last2=Panasiuk |first2=Vitalii |date=20 October 2018 |title=Перша жінка-генерал Людмила Шугалей про службу, Майдан та евакуацію поранених на Донбасі |trans-title=First female general Liudmyla Shuhalei on service, the Maidan, and evacuation of casualties from Donbas |url=https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/persha-zhinka-general-shugalei/29553322.html |access-date=3 March 2024 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=uk}} Prior to 2014, she was deputy director of the Military Medical Department of the Security Service of Ukraine. At the time, she held the rank of colonel.{{Cite news |last=Surepin |first=Serhiy |date=15 October 2018 |title=ЗМІ написали про першу жінку-генерала в Україні. Це неправда |trans-title=News media wrote about the first female general in Ukraine - this is incorrect |url=https://zaborona.com/zmi-napysaly-pro-pershu-zhinku-henerala-v-ukraini-tse-ne-pravda/ |access-date=3 March 2024 |work=Zabarona |language=uk}}
Shuhalei was an active participant in Euromaidan, providing medical assistance to protesters injured by security forces. Following the protests, she became director of the Military Medical Department.{{Cite web |date=14 October 2018 |title=Вперше в історії України жінка отримала генеральське звання |trans-title=For the first time in Ukraine's history, a woman has received a general rank |url=https://mil.in.ua/uk/d0-b2-d0-bf-d0-b5-d1-80-d1-88-d0-b5-d0-b2-d1-96-d1-81-d1-82-d0-be-d1-80-d1-96-d1-97-d1-83-d0-ba-d1-80-d0-b0-d1-97-d0-bd-d0-b8-d0-b6-d1-96-d0-bd-d0-ba-d0-b0-d0-be-d1-82-d1-80-d0-b8-d0-bc-d0-b0/ |access-date=3 March 2024 |website=Militarnyi |language=uk}}
On 12 October 2018, Shuhalei was promoted to the rank of major general by decree of Petro Poroshenko, making her the first female military general and the second female general overall in Ukraine's history, after {{ill|Tetiana Podashevska|uk|Подашевська Тетяна Леонтіївна}} of the Militsiya. Following her promotion, there were several incorrect reports in Ukrainian media that Shuhalei was the first female Ukrainian general ever. Ukrainian media widely celebrated Shuhalei's promotion, though Poroshenko was subject to some criticism that he had done the move as a political stunt.{{Cite web |date=23 February 2021 |title=Women in the Ukrainian army: what are the realities of service |url=https://rubryka.com/en/article/women-in-army/ |access-date=3 March 2024 |website=Rubryka}}
Shuhalei continues to be head of the Military Medical Department of the Security Service of Ukraine, {{asof|2023|lc=y}}.{{Cite web |title=Військово-медичне управління |trans-title=Military Medical Department |url=https://ssu.gov.ua/viiskovo-medychne-upravlinnia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501202634/https://ssu.gov.ua/viiskovo-medychne-upravlinnia |archive-date=1 May 2023 |access-date=3 March 2024 |website=Security Service of Ukraine |language=uk}}