Maria Zaitseva, a 24-year-old Belarusian volunteer soldier combating for Ukraine, was killed in motion close to the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 17, Nasha Niva reported.
Zaitseva joined the Ukrainian military after the beginning of Russia's full-scale conflict and fought with the 2nd Worldwide Legion Battalion.
She turned 24 on Jan. 16, a day earlier than she was killed by Russian forces.
In August 2020, Zaitseva participated within the protests in Minsk towards alleged presidential election fraud in Belarus. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claimed to have received elections by a landslide with 80% of the vote, scary nationwide protests and a subsequent regime crackdown on dissent.
Throughout protests, fragments of a flash grenade severely injured Zaitseva's arm and head. Her picture from the protests along with her face lined in blood went viral.
"Gravely injured throughout the 2020 Belarus protests, she gave her life for freedom," mentioned Belarusian opposition chief Svitlana Tsikhanouskaya, describing Zaitseva as "an icon of our revolution."
That is completely heartbreaking. Maria Zaitseva, an icon of our revolution, was killed at simply 24 years previous whereas defending 🇺🇦. Gravely injured throughout the 2020 Belarus protests, she gave her life for freedom. My deepest condolences to her household & mates at this unimaginable loss. pic.twitter.com/i7G7wAITrQ
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) January 17, 2025
After being injured, Zaitseva was handled within the Czech Republic, the place she underwent a number of surgical procedures. She mentioned that the harm induced a hematoma in her mind. She additionally misplaced listening to in a single ear.
Lots of of Belarusians have joined the Ukrainian military since 2014, and over 60 of them have been killed in motion, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. In Belarus, volunteer fighters danger imprisonment, and the Lukashenko regime harasses their households.
The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan
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