The Brazilian model and sniper who fought in Ukraine and died in a Russian bombing

Thalita do Valle, a Brazilian model and Army volunteer Ukraine in the war launched by Vladimir Putin, he died last Friday in a Russian bombing in the city of Kharkiv along with a compatriot identified as Douglas Búrigo.

Thalita and Douglas were killed during an attack by Russian forces on the city of Kharkiv, the second largest in Ukraine. According to reports from other Brazilians who were part of the same platoon, the shelter where they were hiding was bombed and the group fled to a bunker. On the spot, however, Thalita would have suffocated to death after a fire resulting from the attack, while Douglas would have been hit by mortars and shots, in addition to suffering burns, while trying to rescue his colleague.

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“I fight for my two friends who fell in Ukraine. Thalita did logistics and provided support in the health area. Douglas Búrigo died trying to save her. The two died thinking more of their neighbor than of themselves. May God receive you in his heavenly mansion”, published on a social network Fábio Júnior de Oliveira, another Brazilian volunteer of the Ukrainian army.

Sandro Silva, another Brazilian volunteer in Ukraine, said he is leading a platoon with dozens of Latinos, including nine Brazilians. According to Sandro, Thalita and Douglas had only been in the group for a short time, but they had already “made a difference”.

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“We were in a security residence and unfortunately they attacked us. People ran to help. I went one way, Thalita went the other, but then we ended up meeting, there was a fire, and Thalita was in a bunker, with a lot of smoke, and ended up suffocating. We managed to get her out intact, with her whole body, small burns on her hand, but she suffocated. Douglas, unfortunately, went back into the house, went after her and couldn’t get out. He was hit by a mortar, resulting in several shots and some burns. So, the two were evacuated, the two are in a morgue, the army is already taking care of that, together with the family. They will take care of the repatriation of the bodies, ”he detailed.

Background in war zones

Do Valle had experience working in risk zones, whether in wars, like in Iraqi Kurdistan, or due to environmental disasters, like in Brumadinho and Petrópolis. These points were just some of those that the activist has traveled in recent years. On social networks she shared part of her work, such as in a video uploaded to YouTube in September 2019, in which she shows a battlefront in Iraq, from the place controlled by the peshmerga, a classification he used to identify himself in his description on Tik Tok. This term refers to the armed forces of the Kurds, which fought against the Islamic State, and it means something like “those who face death”.

Another post by Thalita, also made in September 2019, shows a moment of her interaction with the yazidi children affected by the conflict:

Upon hearing the news of her death, friends and family said goodbye on social networks and recalled Thalita’s good deeds, such as her participation in the rescues in Mariana and Brumadinho, in Minas Gerais, where dams broke and a large amount of mud dragged everything that was in the way, and also in Petrópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio, hit by heavy rains that caused landslides and house collapses.

“That’s okay. Enormous in her goodness, in her beauty, always ready to fulfill her humanitarian missions, to help others, to help animals and people. There he was in Mariana, Brumadinho, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Iran, Kurdistan… and on his last mission in Ukraine. He fought the good fight until the end of his journey on Earth. Go in peace, dear, your light will never be erased from our memory, “shared a friend of the Brazilian, along with photos of the two together.

In Brumadinho, Thalita worked to rescue animals trapped in the mud. Known for acting in defense of animals, Bruno Lima, a state deputy in São Paulo, was another person who said goodbye to Thalita in a Facebook post. “We lost a great friend and protector of animals fighting in the Ukraine. Russian missiles hit the barracks where Thalita was staying in Kharkiv. Rest in peace. You have made a difference on this earth for many people and animals,” he said.

The government version

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of Douglas and Thalita in a statement released on Tuesday night, in which it did not mention the names of the deceased.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received, through the Brazilian Embassy in kyiv, the confirmation of the death of two Brazilian nationals on Ukrainian territory, on July 1, as a result of the conflict in that country and maintains contact with the relatives to provide them with any assistance, in accordance with current international treaties and local legislation, ”says the text.

“As it has been doing since the beginning of the conflict, Itamaraty continues to strongly discourage Brazilians from traveling to Ukraine, as long as there are not enough security conditions in the country,” the text added.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.