Rayana, a Muay Thai coach and unmanned aerial vehicle operator who served in the Sheikh Mansur Chechen volunteer battalion, has been killed in action in the Donetsk direction. According to reports, she was the only woman in this unit. The servicewoman's death was announced by the public organization "League of Muslim Women of Ukraine" and Seyran Arifov, head of the All-Ukrainian Association of Public Organizations "Alraid"; the information was also shared with reference to the Sports Committee of Ukraine.
The Only Woman in the Unit
Rayana served in the Sheikh Mansur Chechen volunteer battalion and performed combat missions in the Donetsk direction. According to reports, she remained the only woman in this unit, which highlights her special role in a collective formed predominantly of male volunteers. Her participation in combat operations combined both the direct use of equipment and organizational functions within the battalion.
From the Ring to the Front Line
Before the war, Rayana was a professional Muay Thai practitioner and later worked as a coach, teaching this martial art to both adults and children. In 2024, she decided to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After enlisting, she completed drone operation courses and became a UAV operator, thereby transitioning from a sports career to a military specialty requiring precision, endurance, and analytical thinking.
Drone Operator and Food Supply Headquarters
At the front, Rayana tracked enemy equipment and assisted in its destruction while working as a drone operator. In addition to her combat duties, she headed the battalion's food supply headquarters, responsible for providing for the fighters. Thus, her contribution to the unit included both direct participation in combat operations and the logistical support necessary for the unit's daily life in the field.
Personal History and Faith
Rayana was a Muslim: she visited a mosque in Kyiv and took care of a mosque in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. She explained her decision to go to the front by her desire to protect her son's future. These details, shared in reports of her death, paint a portrait of a person for whom the defense of family and community became a personal motivation for service.
Farewell in Odesa
The fallen servicewoman will be buried in Odesa, where her family lives. Her death is part of the daily losses the country suffers during the full-scale war. Earlier, in similar circumstances, other defenders well-known in sports and public circles were killed at the front: in particular, reports emerged of the death in the Donetsk direction of Igor Gladky, a titled master of sports in arm wrestling who defended the country from the first days of the invasion, as well as Mykola Karpyuk, a former Kremlin political prisoner and one of the founders of the UNA-UNSO movement.
