“Maria asked not to cry and not to carry flowers for goodbye, if she died, told the reserve Colonel Ruslan “Santa” Miroshnichenko-ex-commander of the second international legion: … …”, – WRITE ON: Armyinform.com.ua
Read for: 3 min. February 3 2025, 22:19
Today in Kiev, they said goodbye to 24-year-old Maria Zajava-Belarusian sniper, who fought for Ukraine in the ranks of the Second International Legion. She died in position while performing a combat mission. Maria asked not to cry and not to carry flowers for goodbye, if she died, told the reserve Colonel Ruslan “Santa” Miroshnichenko-ex-commander of the second international legion:
“Mary was a strong girl, a soldier, a volunteer. We commanded us to be courageous, strong, to fight the enemy. So, we do not cry, I ask you. These are not my words, she said it. We do not cry to the heap and fight. And we kill! Glory to Ukraine! Belarus lives! ”
Maria joined the international legion in November 2022. For a long time she was a military physician.
“I noticed that such a fragile girl appeared, the baby is actually. I immediately paid attention, because then I thought what a high school student was doing here in my combat unit? But this high school student, relatively speaking, had a very formed personality, adult thoughts, the determination to fight. She repeatedly repeated that she was not the object of pity, she wanted to be specifically the subject of the struggle and she proved it every day, ”Ruslan Miroshnichenko said.
At first, she worked in a medical evacuation crew and then a combat physician directly in positions. She has always been very purposeful and constantly studied, recalls Maria her brother Sannistor Sergeant Ruslan Boychuk.
“We, at almost one time, came to the Legion. Together they were in the same crew, together they interceded into positions. So we have a situation that some women become stronger than men. Men are hiding, but women even come from abroad. Maria could live in the Czech Republic quietly, she lived there, she had a residence permit, but she came here, ”Ruslan Boychuk recalls.
According to Ruslan Miroshnichenko, he did not want to let her go directly. But she convinced him that she was able to do it. And she saved the lives of several military personnel due to her cold -blooded and collection.
During one of the exits to the position, Maria was injured. The wreck from the mine hit her hand. But after treatment, she immediately returned to the unit. And she said she wanted to become a sniper.
“So I strongly told me that everything, Santa is enough, I’m ready to kill. She had a desire to take revenge on his brothers, ”Ruslan Miroshnichenko recalls.
And Mary began to train like a sniper. At first it was an impromptu training in eastern Ukraine and then sent to sniper courses. After returning from her studies, she performed combat missions in the area of the time ravine and then in the Pokrovsk region. Was a productive sniper.
“This girl has struggled all her life. And died during the combat mission. She was in position to the latter, ”said the commander of the second international legion, Major Alexander Yakimovich.
According to him, the unit presented Maria Zajava on the distinction “for courage” (posthumously).
Photo by Natalia Kravchuk
