Olha S. Simonova (Simba)

Olga Sergiyivna Simonova was born on July 12, 1988 in Russia. She had the profession of an engineer. From the age of 11, she was engaged in sports, the main direction being contact martial arts. She was a Master of Sports and a Candidate Master in several sports: from karate to rock climbing. She professionally engaged in karate. She actively participated in competitions, including the European Championship. In late autumn 2013, she moved to Ukraine. She worked as a medic. In February 2014, she decided to participate in the Revolution of Dignity in Kyiv. In early 2015, she joined the "Sever" special purpose battalion as a volunteer medic, and then the "Zoloti Vorota" PSMOP battalion. From April to September 2015, she worked as a paramedic in the Pirogov emergency medical service evacuation team in Bakhmut, Luhanske, and Popasna. From September 2015 to March 2016, she was a paramedic in the "Dnipro-1" regiment, after which she worked in Kyiv. In the fall of 2016, she signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and served in the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade. On March 7, 2017, she received Ukrainian citizenship. Olga Simonova became the first foreign contract soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to receive a Ukrainian passport during her service. In late 2018, she underwent training at the Desna training center. She was killed on September 13, 2022 as a result of a vehicle explosion on an explosive device while performing a combat mission in the Kherson direction. She was buried on September 16, 2022 at the Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv.