'Invaders will die': Former Miss Ukraine joins fight to defend her country from Russia

28 February 2022, 07:32 | Updated: 28 February 2022, 14:56

A beauty queen and former Miss Ukraine has joined the Ukrainian military in its push against the Russian invasion.

Anastasia Lenna, Ukraine’s 2015 representative in the Miss Grand International beauty contest, has answered Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call for civilians to defend their homeland, according to her Instagram account.

Since the launch of Russia's invasion on Thursday, the model has shared a string of posts on her Instagram story urging support and soliciting donations to the Ukrainian armed forces.

In a recent Instagram story, she wrote: "The invaders will die on our land! All world see this!"

In an earlier post - accompanied by a photo of armed soldiers blocking a road - she said: "Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!"

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A post shared by Miss Ukraine🇺🇦Anastasiia Lenna (@anastasiia.lenna)

Another post said: "Our (Ukraine's) army is fighting in such a way that NATO should apply for entry into Ukraine."

She also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “a true and strong leader".

Ms Lenna, a marketing and management graduate from Slavistik University in Kyiv, previously worked as a model and public relations manager in Turkey, according to her Miss Grand International profile.

Ukraine has fought off the Russians since their invasion on Thursday, with no major cities being taken and Russian forces suffering thousands of casualties.

Men aged 18 to 60 have been banned from leaving Ukraine and civilians have been encouraged to fight back against Russian troops.

Read more: 'The world is behind us': Ukrainian to drive supplies across border to help his homeland

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Vladimir Putin needs to 'withdraw his war machine', says Boris Johnson

The Ukraine Health Ministry said 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed in Russian assault so far.

But there are fears Russian troops are closing in on the capital of Kyiv, with new satellite images showing miles of Russian troops on the edge of the city.

The images were released as Ukraine and Russia were set for talks at the Belarus border, near the Pripyat river.

Boris Johnson said he has doubts Mr Putin was wanting to negotiate, saying: "There's nothing I've seen so far in his behaviour that leads me to think that he could possibly be sincere."