Leaving Russia to fight in Ukraine

In Kyiv, Sasha, 27, is trying to rebuild a life away from the front. Born in Russia, this former top model chose to come to Ukraine in 2020 to enlist. On her arrival, no regular unit wanted to take her in. She then joined the International Legion, the entry point for foreign volunteers.

“Nobody wanted me,” she says. She then managed to join a Ukrainian unit, where she served for three years, facing bombardments and the violence of combat.

In the midst of the war, she met the man who would become her partner, known by the nickname “Major,” a native of Kharkiv and founder of the North Side Group, a community of servicemen engaged in actions supporting the Ukrainian army.

Last month, he was killed at the front.

Settled in Kyiv, surrounded by her animals, Alexandra is now trying to get back on her feet.

“Unfortunately, I was born in Russia,” she confides, as if to sum up the weight of a commitment that led her to fight against her country of origin.

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