Valkirya
Yulya "Valkyrie" Tolopa: Valkyrie crossed the Ukrainian border from Russia when she was 18, inspired to understand the true events of the Maidan revolution versus reports from the Russian media. Shortly thereafter she jumped on a bus to the frontline and joined the Aydar Volunteer Battalion, liberating and defending towns in the Luhansk region. Today, she continues to serve on the frontline in the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a Russian citizen, protected by Ukraine from Russia's request for extradition. She is still fighting to obtain Ukrainian citizenship, her attempts stifled by a law requiring proof of no criminal history from her mother country, where she is wanted as a traitor. READ EXCERPT FROM VALKYRIE'S STORY