A female Ukrainian war paramedic who was killed by Putin’s forces left a poignant letter to her grieving brother just before she died.
In the extraordinary posthumous letter, Iryna Tsybukh, 25, wrote ‘For only the brave have happiness, and it is better to die running than to live rotting.’
The fearless paramedic was tragically killed this week in shelling by Vladimir Putin’s invading army.
The brave woman had risked her life since the start of the conflict more than two years ago and saved countless wounded soldiers, giving them urgent first aid.
She publicised her work and inspired others to follow her to the war zone to fight against Putin’s forces.
In an intensely moving letter, she wrote: ‘To have the strength to be a free person, you need to be brave.
‘For only the brave have happiness, and it is better to die running than to live rotting.’
Praised this week for her inspirational work by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, she urged her countrymen: ‘Be worthy of the exploits of our heroes, do not be sad, be brave.’
Iryna penned the heart wrenching letter to her younger brother Yuri just over a year ago and the 18-year-old has now released it after her death on Wednesday May 29.
She wrote: ‘The 5th crew and I are working for reconnaissance of the 80th brigade, ‘Dream On’ by Aerosmith is playing in the background, and I [realise] there have been so many opportunities to die this year, so I decided to write a posthumous letter,’.
She gave her reflections on life and also death, which she saw all around her.
‘It is sad that we live so weakly, dependent on social approval of life, that only death allows us to live in absolute freedom.
‘However, the trouble is that life is over, and this freedom no longer has any meaning.’
Iryna said in her posthumous missive: ‘Most of all I want to say thank you to myself, my parents, brother, family and friends, thank you for allowing me to be free, to live the life I want.
‘A full-scale war forced me to stop being a slave to fears.’
She made clear she was ‘doing what I want’ in resisting Russian expansion into Ukraine.
‘I don’t feel sorry for dying, because I’m finally living the life I would like….
‘Today everything is behind me, my life is over and it was important for me to go through it with dignity: to be an honest, kind, loving person.
‘Today we work for heroes and this is a good opportunity to confirm our values – to truly be that person.’ she wrote.
To her brother Yuri she said: ‘We loved each other, we were a wonderful brother and sister, those were good times.
‘Let these memories warm you, motivate you, but in no way upset you.
‘To have the strength to be a free person, you need to be brave.’
Separately she grieved for what she could never have because of Putin’s invasion.
‘I want children. I want a house. I want to plant tomatoes… but ending the war is most important,’ she said.
‘War is the worst place I’ve ever been, but it gives a ticket to real life, to a world of genuine independence – it brands the knowledge of the fleetingness of existence.’
In a video she said: ‘Courage is when you are scared, but you have something more than fear, something more important.
‘And you are ready to die for it, and you are ready to live for it.
‘You know what is really difficult in war?
‘When your mum calls you from her basement, because Lviv is under fire, and you are risking your life.
‘But your mum is in Lviv [western Ukraine], far from the front line with my brother and father, grandmother, relatives.
‘I realise they are not protected either.
‘I am so angry that Russia is reaching so far.
‘I am so angry that I cannot protect them.
‘Despite the fact that I’m at the front, I’m doing everything here to stop the [Russian] scum from advancing.
‘And still, I’m not doing enough, because [my family] is unprotected and in danger.’
Zelensky hailed the paramedic in a nightly address this week.
‘Iryna Tsybukh, a combat medic from the Hospitallers Medical Battalion, died in action in Kharkiv region,’ he said.
‘She was one of those who not only defended the country, but also worked tirelessly to encourage others to join, train, and learn how to be effective.
‘She was deeply involved in frontline medicine, honouring our warriors and memorialising the feats of Ukrainians.’
Zelensky offered his condolences ‘to all Iryna’s comrades and friends, her loved ones, to everyone who knew her and she inspired to fight for Ukraine and achieve results for Ukraine.
‘It is very important that her work – and the efforts of all our fallen heroes – goes on….’