A Ukrainian woman was blown up by a Russian tank while searching for medicine for her sick mother in besieged Ukraine.

31-year-old Valeriia Maksetska was a dedicated medic who stayed in Kyiv to help the remaining residents, including her mom, after the Russian invasion began.

After running out of medicine for her sick mother, Valeriia, also known as Lera, made a hard decision to flee the city of Kyiv together with her mom in hopes of making it to safety and finding the much-needed medication.

Just minutes after leaving Kyiv, however, the car Lera and her mom were in got intercepted by a Russian tank convoy in a village to the west of the capital.

In a bid to avoid a confrontation, Maksetska’s driver pulled over to let the convoy pass. That’s when one of the tanks opened fire and blew up the car, killing the young medic, her mother, and the driver.

The sad news was shared by USAID administrator Samantha Power who paid a tribute to the devoted medic who so often risked her life to help others.

“I’m enormously sad to share the death of Valeriia ‘Lera’ Maksetska – proud Ukrainian, beloved USAID implementing partner & brilliant, compassionate leader on building social cohesion & fighting disinformation. She was killed by the Russian military just shy of her 32nd birthday,” Power revealed.

“She survived the shelling of Donetsk, moved to Kyiv, and started working with USAID – where she became beloved as ‘a brave woman with a kind heart.’”

She added: “Lera, a trained medic, could’ve left Kyiv when the invasion began, but stayed to help others. Only when her mom Irina ran out of medicine did she evacuate. As Lera, Irina & their driver Yaroslav waited in a car for a Russian convoy to pass, a tank fired on them – killing all three.

“Lera’s death is devastating for @USAID, @Chemonics & all who knew her. We celebrate her fierce dedication to Ukraine & joyful spirit.

“As Lera wrote when Kyiv was attacked, she was angry at the awful violence ‘but so proud to be a Ukrainian & live someplace where beliefs matter.’”

Our thoughts are with Lera, Irina, and Yaroslav’s family, friends, and colleagues during these challenging times.

 

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