As the grim death toll in the Russian war on Ukraine rises. a woman who left her home in Kyiv to collect medicine for her sick mum has reportedly died after her car was fired upon by a Russian tank.
Ukrainian-born Valeriia Maksetska was killed in a village just outside Kyiv, according to a statement from international development agency USAID.
USAID administrator Samantha Power said that while Lera, Irina and their driver Yaroslav were waiting in their car for a Russian convoy to pass, a tank fired at them, killing all three .
Valeriia worked for Chemonics, a Washington-based international development firm partnered with USAID. She had chosen to remain behind to help people in Ukraine after the Russian invasion, and was described as "a brave woman with a kind heart"
Chemonics’s chief executive Jamey Butcher wrote: “This is my staff member Valeriia (Lera) Maksetska. She was killed in a village west of Kyiv while trying to get medication for her sick mother.”
USAID administrator Samantha Power confirmed that all three had died in the senseless attack.
She said: “I'm enormously sad to share the death of Valeriia 'Lera' Maksetska – proud Ukrainian, beloved USAID implementing partner, and brilliant, compassionate leader on building social cohesion & fighting disinformation. She was killed by the Russian military just shy of her 32nd birthday".
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Ms Power added: “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'.
“Lera, a trained medic, could've left Kyiv when the invasion began, but stayed to help others,' she added.
“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 and 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’”.
Valeriia was born and raised in the eastern city of Donetsk, which is one of the Russian invasion’s key targets.
She had worked as part of a humanitarian response since Russia's invasion of the Ukrainian province of Crimea in 2014.
Her death comes less than 24 hours after a captured Russian platoon leader admitted that invading troops had been ordered to “open fire” on civilians as they moved occupy the city of Kharkiv.
“There was a command to capture the city of Kharkiv, occupy all the roads, block civilian exits and occupy the city,” the man said in a video released by Ukraine's Security Service.
"We had permission to open fire on command and on all city residents" he added.
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