Female Model And Sniper Fighting In Ukraine Killed By Russian Missile Strike
Thalita do Valle had been fighting in the city of Kharkiv when she came under attack
Dominic Smithers
A Brazilian model who was fighting in Ukraine has been killed in a missile strike.
Thalita do Valle was an elite sniper and had been fighting in the city of Kharkiv when she was killed by Russian forces on 30 June.
The strike also saw Brazilian soldier Douglas Burigo killed, after the 40-year-old went into a bunker to try and find the model.
Thalita's brother Theo Rodrigo Viera said she was a hero, and praised the 39-year-old for risking her own life to save others.
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He revealed that his sister had only been in Ukraine for about three weeks when she died.
Theo explained that she had been trying to rescue people and working as a sharpshooter – providing cover from advancing Russian forces.
Thalita had previously been in the capital city of Kyiv, where she had survived a bomb attack.
During this time, communication with her family was very limited as she told them that mobile phones were being monitored by Russian drones, and she was only able to call to let them know that she was safe.
As a result, the last time Thalita actually spoke to her family was last week, when she had just arrived in Kharkiv.
Before the war in Ukraine, Thalita had previously fought ISIS in Iraq, which she had documented through video posts to her YouTube channel.
It was during this time that the 39-year-old fought alongside the Peshmergas, the armed military forces of the independent Kurdistan region of Iraq, and honed her skills.
Her experiences in Iraq are set to be turned into a book.
As well as her military career, Thalita also studied law and participated in animal rescues with NGOs.
It's been more than four months since Vladimir Putin announced his 'special military operation' in Ukraine and sent his troops over the border, with thousands of soldiers and civilians having lost their lives since.
As well as the human cost of the war, around 212 educational facilities from nurseries to schools and universities have also been destroyed, with around 1,849 severely damaged as of 24 June.
Ukrainian officials reported last month that roughly 500 hospitals, 500 factories, 50 rail and 300 car bridges have also been lost as a result of Russian attacks.
And the head of the European Investment Bank has estimated that the damage could require other countries to give aid totalling $1.1 trillion to help get the country back on its feet.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information