brazilian-model-and-sniper-killed-by-russian-missile-attack-while-fighting-alongside-ukraine

A former Brazilian model turned volunteer combatant has died in the war in Ukraine. Thalita do Valle, aged 39, who had previously modelled and studied law in Brazil, joined international volunteer forces in Ukraine and was killed when a Russian missile struck her position in the Kharkiv region on June 30, 2022. (Newsweek)

Do Valle reportedly arrived in Ukraine three weeks earlier and served alongside Ukrainian forces in the northeast of the country. She had earlier combat experience fighting with Kurdish forces in Iraq against Islamic State (ISIS) and had trained as a sniper. (The New Voice of Ukraine)

According to multiple media reports, she was killed in a missile strike that hit a bunker near Kharkiv; the explosion and resulting fire trapped her and another Brazilian volunteer, Douglas Burigo, who died while returning to rescue her. (Hindustan Times)

Her family described her as someone driven by humanitarian missions: she studied law, worked with animal-rights NGOs, modelled in Brazil and later chose to enter conflict zones to save lives and protect others. (Newsweek)

Her death highlights the growing number of foreign volunteers participating in the war on Ukraine’s side and the risks they face on the battlefield. While official sources in Ukraine or Russia have not extensively detailed the incident, the reports underline the intensity of the fighting in the Kharkiv region and the use of missile strikes by Russian forces. (www.ndtv.com)

As with many such cases, the story raises questions about international volunteers’ roles in foreign wars, media representation of foreign fighters, and the human cost of the conflict. Do Valle’s transition from civilian humanitarian work to frontline sniper underscores the blurred line between combat and activism in the modern war zone.