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 27.[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]
Ukraine
Ukraine