A Brazilian model who later joined the military as a sniper in Ukraine died from asphyxiation after becoming trapped inside a burning bunker, her heartbroken family disclosed.
This week marks the first mention of Thalita do Valle, 39, who passed away on June 30 as a result of a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv.
Her brother, Theo Rodrigo Vieira, has recently come forward to say that she died from suffocation after becoming separated from her unit and being trapped inside a burning bunker.
Another Brazilian, Douglas Burigo, 40, who was fighting in Ukraine, also perished in the same attack while attempting to save her.
There were several attacks, and the unit was split, according to Brother Theo.
The bunker was visited by Thalita.
The bunker closed with her inside and there was already a fire.
“In the pause between the bombings, her companion came back to help her, but he died.” She wasn’t struck by shrapnel; instead, she died of asphyxiation.
Thalita was reported to have been born in the southern Brazilian city of Ribeirao Preto but had spent the previous 30 years residing in Sao Paulo, the region’s hub.
Before studying law and beginning her career in animal rescue, she had worked as a model and actor in her youth.
Later in adulthood, she developed a desire for action and traveled to Iraq to fight alongside Kurdish Peshmerga troops against ISIS, who had trained her as a sniper.
Theo claimed she arrived to Ukraine just three weeks ago before being moved to the city of Kharkiv, which is no longer under direct attack by Russia but which is nonetheless often fired from across the border.
Theo reported that Thalita sent messages from the front almost daily, explaining that she was also a sharpshooter and a savior.
He added that she was in charge of offering protection from the approaching Russian military.
Theo said, “Thalita has consistently participated in humanitarian missions with the foreign legion of some nation or here in Brazil.
She was always touched by the need to protect people and animals.
“My sister was a true progressive who was always calm. War and guns go together, but she saved lives and saved animals.
She never pushed kids to join the military. She was a calm individual.
While Ukraine’s soldiers are still engaged in deadly engagements with Russia in the east, with significant casualties on both sides, news of her death made headlines.
Putin’s army has taken control of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk over the past ten days, and it is now cautiously moving forward along a tiny portion of the frontline.
Now his sights are set on Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, after which he can credibly claim to have “liberated” the entire Donbas region.
Despite continuing to be outnumbered, Ukraine’s forces are making Russia pay in blood for every yard of ground they capture in an effort to wear down Putin’s armies before mounting a counterattack to retake territory they have already lost.
Such assaults are already in progress in the south of the nation, with Kyiv’s army advancing on Kherson.
Kherson, the only regional capital to fall to Putin’s soldiers thus far in the invasion, is a stronghold that crosses the Dnipro river and is strategically important.
Retaking it would be a difficult task for Ukraine’s military, which has only occasionally counterattacked during the war thus far.
However, if they are successful, it will severely undermine Russian claims of “winning” and leave other southern regions exposed.