The thirty-nine-year-old former Brazilian model Talitha to Valle, a member of Ukraine's elite sniper unit who documented military exploits on YouTube, was killed during a Russian missile attack in the city of Kharkiv.

Her companion, a former Brazilian army soldier, also died in the attack after he tried to pull Talitha out of the missile-hit bunker she was in. Talitha was the only member of the team to survive the first rocket attack on this bunker, but in less than a minute the bunker was hit by another missile.

Talitha also had experience in previous conflicts as she fought against the Islamic State in Iraq, which she documented on her YouTube channel.

JUST IN: Elite sniper and ex-model, Thalita do Valle, 39, from Brazil has been killed during a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/XAa9HNCAY6

— BNN Newsroom (@BNNBreaking) July 6, 2022

During the fighting in Iraq, she underwent sniper training and joined the Peshmerga, the armed forces of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. While in the conflict zones, she collaborated with a writer who was to translate all her combat experience into a book.

Talitha was a law student who participated in animal rescue with non-governmental organizations, and in her youth actively worked as a model and actress.

A BRAZILIAN model who joined the Ukraine Army as a sniper just three weeks ago has been killed after a Russian missile obliterated her bunker. Thalita do Valle, 39, had previously fought against IS in Iraq.# Ukraine #UkraineWar #UkraineRussianWar #Luhansk #RussiaIsATterrorismState pic.twitter.com/sQaF9fvf0W

— Andy (@FightTheBigots) July 6, 2022

After surviving the bombing in the Ukrainian capital, Talita explained to her family that she couldn't talk much because her mobile phone activity was being monitored by Russian drones and that she would only call them to let them know she was okay.

The last time they spoke was last week, after Talita moved to Kharkiv, where she lost her life.