Sandra Andersen Eira

Sandra Andersen Eira
Sandra Andersen Eira in 2017
Member of the Sámi Parliament of Norway for Ávjovárri
Incumbent
In office
2017–2021
Personal details
Born (1986-06-21) 21 June 1986
CitizenshipNorwegian
Military career
Allegiance Ukraine
BranchMain Directorate of Intelligence
Service years2022–present
RankSoldat (GUR) / Matros (Marines)
Conflicts

Sandra Andersen Eira (born 21 June 1986)[1] is a fisherwoman[2] and Norwegian Sámi politician from Russenes in Porsanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway.[3] As of 2024 she is serving in the Ukrainian Marine Corps.

Biography

Andersen Eira was raised in the Arctic region of Northern Norway.[4] From 2017 to 2021, Andersen Eira served as a member of the Sámi Parliament of Norway (Sametinget), elected to the Norwegian Sámi Association from the Ávjovárri constituency.[5]

Following the end of her term in the Sametinget, Andersen Eiraspent a year commuting between the United States and Norway, including expanding her fishing business and being featured in a documentary titled Sea Sisters.[6]

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Andersen Eira joined a mixed-British and American ranger squad,[7][8] arriving in Ukraine in March 2022.[9] She was part of the GUR as a Soldat and currently works in the Ukrainian Marines as Matros. As of September 2024, Andersen Eira was still fighting for Ukraine; she has been back to Norway at least once, for a few days, to attend a plenary session of the Sámi Parliament of Norway.[10]

Andersen Eira took part, along with her unit, in the battle of Moshchun, near Kyiv and on the frontline in Mykolaiv in March 2022[10] and was later deployed to Bakhmut, in the Donbas, for a brief period. She was deployed in Donetsk frontline in 2023 and was part alongside units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the battle of Krynky (2023/2024), a battle that left at least 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers dead or missing.[11] In 2024, Russia issued an arrest warrant against her on charges of being a "mercenary".[12][13][14]

On May 28, 2025, Norwegian broadcaster TV2 announced that Andersen Eira is expecting a child following her marriage to a fellow Ukrainian soldier in 2024.[15] She gave birth to a boy on August 27th.[16]

On June 24, 2025, she appeared as a guest on the Wolfgang Wee Uncut podcast, where she spoke about her experiences as a Norwegian volunteer soldier in Ukraine.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Sök personer". www.birthday.se. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  2. ^ Nilsen Trygstad, Andreas (5 May 2017). "Skipper Sandra: Folk har mye å lære om holdninger fra sjøfolk". NRK. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  3. ^ Reinhall, Lori Ann (28 August 2021). "A young Sámi woman lives a dream and makes a difference". Norwegianamerican.com.
  4. ^ Podcast, Dårlige Venner (21 August 2023). "Episode 87 The Shieldmaiden who went to Ukraine Sandra Andersen Eira – Dårlige Venner Podcast". Podtail. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Sametingsgruppa 2017-2021". nsr.n (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  6. ^ Robert Larsen, Dan (10 January 2022). "Skipper Sandra (35) holder til i USA og driver forretninger i Norge". NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  7. ^ Haram, Ola (7 April 2022). "Sandra Andersen Eira kriger i Ukraina". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  8. ^ Ferris-Rotman, Amie. "The Foreign Women Joining Ukraine's Fight Against Russia". TIME. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Norwegian volunteer reveals her reasons for joining the fight against Russian aggression". New Voice. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Sandra (36): Fremmedkriger i Ukraina og sametingspolitiker". Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). 14 December 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  11. ^ C, Kyla (19 January 2023). "From the War Zone: A Foreign Fighter in Ukraine and Her Time on the Ground". Strike Source. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  12. ^ "Russia Issues Arrest Warrant for Norwegian Ex-Politician". The Moscow Times. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Russia issues arrest warrant for Sami ex-politician". Indigenous Russia. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  14. ^ Joshi, Mayur (10 April 2024). "Alleged Mercenary is Former Norwegian Politician: Russia's target in Ukraine". Regtechtimes. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  15. ^ "Norsk Ukraina-kriger er gravid: – Vi har en usikker framtid". TV2 (in Norwegian). 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  16. ^ Sletten, Tina (1 September 2025). "(+) Fremmedkriger Sandra har født: – Veldig takknemlig for det norske helsesystemet". iFinnmark (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  17. ^ "Wolfgang Wee Uncut – Norsk kvinne som kriger i Ukraina". YouTube. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
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