A Former Brazilian model who has joined Ukraine army to fight against Russian forces as an elite sniper has been killed by missile strike in Ukraine which obliterated her bunker, relatives said.

Thalita do Valle, a 39-year-old ex-model who had been in Ukraine for only three weeks, died in a June 30 Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, where she was nailed down amidst heavy explosions.

The former model who also attended law school had posted videos of her time in Ukraine on her YouTube channel, which documented her previous experience as a fighter against the Islamic State in Iraq.

While in Iraq, do Valle trained as a sniper with the Peshmergas in the independent Kurdistan region. Her brother, Theo Rodrigo Viera, hailed her as a hero who dedicated her life to helping others in desperate need.

“Thalita has always been involved in humanitarian missions with the foreign legion of some country or here in Brazil,” Viera said. “She was always moved by the feeling of saving animals and humans. My sister was always peaceful, a genuine progressive. Guns are part of a context, war, but she saved lives, she saved animals.”

The volunteer soldier from Sao Paulo died alongside former Brazilian army fighter Douglas Burigo, 40, who was on his way to evacuate her from a bunker when he was killed.

In Ukraine, do Valle had trained as a sniper and provided cover to Ukrainian troops from Russian forces. Her brother said she had survived an earlier bombing in Kyiv, where she told relatives she couldn’t say much more as cellphones were being tracked by Russian drones.

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