Woman pilot booted out of Italian Air Force; joins the boots on ground for war-hit Ukraine

Giulia Schiff, 23, was kicked out of the Italian Air force for her complaint against hazing. The 23-year-old Schiff has now joined Ukraine's International Legion, serving near Kyiv. She said that it's her duty to defend Ukraine, that has been invaded for 'ridiculous' reasons by one of the world's powers. "We need to help a country that cannot defend itself, invaded by one of the world's powers, among other things for ridiculous reasons,'' Schiff said, as reported by Mirror. 

23-year-old kicked out of Italian Air Force for complaint against Hazing

Schiff was kicked out of the Italian Air force after she complained that she was harassed physically as a part of 'hazing' - involves playing pranks or ridiculing someone, especially, the new members joining a fraternity. She captured attention two years ago when a video emerged of her being injured by pranks committed by male colleagues during the initiation. The pilot said that, as reported by Mirror, her head was pounded against the wing of a plane, her backside whipped and she was thrown into a swimming pool during the "hazing" ritual.

When she complained about the abuse, she was shown the door, however, under the pretext that she was expelled for "insufficient military aptitude".

Schiff, via a Facebook post, reacted after a day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, showing displeasure towards Europe that she had not seen "the reaction from Europe, that Ukraine deserves for the havoc wrought on them by Putin". A few days after her Facebook post, she left for Ukraine in utmost secrecy. She is reportedly in touch with an italian journalist whom she has been friends with for some years. 

She told the journalist, "I was born for this, to help our Ukrainian brothers and to prevent the war from reaching us. I am going against the tide. While many are fleeing, I head towards the fighting areas."  

Russia-Ukraine War

There are about 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries, who are currently in the combat zone fighting for the Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities announced on March 8, about the arrival of the first batch of foreign volunteers to join 'The Ukrainian International Legion', formed on the call of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A video released by Ukraine showed foreign fighters being trained with weapons in a forest. 

On March 9, Ukraine's First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin said that the country is ready to give Ukrainian citizenship to the volunteers. On March 7, Ukraine lifted the visa requirement on a temporary basis for foreign volunteers. The Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba appealed to those who wish to join the Ukrainian side should contact their respective diplomatic missions".

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that since the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost a month ago, over 12,000 Russian forces have been killed in the war.

Image: Instagram/@giuliajschiff