A female sniper known as Snow White has been 'liquidated' in eastern Ukraine while fighting for pro-Putin forces.

Anastasia Slobodyanyuk fought for pro-Russia rebels and was hailed for her 'exceptional courage' in bloody battles in the region.

But the 26-year-old has reportedly been killed by a Ukrainian sniper in the Spartak district of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic after earlier narrowly cheating death in several hot spots.

She was supposed to have been inspired to sign up for the 'self defence' forces by witnessing the funeral of a five-year-old girl killed in the Slavyansk siege in 2014.

A female sniper known as Snow White has been 'liquidated' in eastern Ukraine, according to reports

Anastasia Slobodyanyuk fought for pro-Vladimir Putin rebels and was hailed for her 'exceptional courage' in bloody battles in the region

The 26-year-old was reported killed by a Ukrainian sniper in the Spartak district of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic after earlier narrowly cheating death in several hot spots

'When she saw a photograph of the little girl with bows and in a white dress with a doll in the coffin, she knew that she just could not live at home any longer - she would not forgive herself,' said one account.

She was quoted as saying: 'The unacceptable cannot be accepted. If you don't stop the evil, you become evil yourself.'

In fact, she had earlier fought in the battle for Donetsk Airport, when she was praised for her bravery and 'hatred of cowardice'.

'I saw how this girl worked at Donetsk airport, and I know she can become a warrior,' said an account by journalist Gennady Dubovoy .

'She was wounded when she was taking out an injured person and carried his heavy backpack. And some two hours later she was keen to get back into battle.

'Soldiers from different brigades were there at that time, some had to be pushed. And this girl reacted with disgust to any signs of cowardice.'

She was supposed to have been inspired to sign up for the 'self defence' forces by witnessing the funeral of a five-year-old girl killed in the Slavyansk siege in 2014

The sniper had refused to say why she had chosen the name Snow White but once said: 'I am not from a fairy tale, I am from Crimea.'

She was also the girlfriend of a rebel commander Mikhail 'Givi' Tolstykh, who was killed in February this year by a Shmel flamethrower rocket.

He had been on the EU sanctions list.

Snow White's toll of victims is not known but pro-Ukrainian forces expressed elation when claiming her death.

A Twitter message read: 'Today in Donbass in Spartak district our sniper wiped out 'Snow White, b***h, murderer, sadist. Givi "got back" his sweetheart.'

She had refused to say why she had chosen the name Snow White but replied: 'I am not from a fairy tale, I am from Crimea.'

She was also the girlfriend of a rebel commander Mikhail 'Givi' Tolstykh (pictured), who was killed in February this year by a Shmel flamethrower rocket

Mikhail 'Givi' Tolstykh (pictured) had been on the European Union sanctions list

'It takes years to become a skillful sniper,' she had said.

'Now I am just a good shooter who does not use Kalashnikov but sniper's gun. I am doing my best and I know I will succeed because there is no evil in me.'

After medical treatment in Russia, she vowed to return early to fight again.

'Most of all I am afraid of shame if I did nothing when the fate of country was determined, and the fate of my future children,' she said.

'The war taught me to value the life, to live today because there may be no tomorrow.

'But if I am alive tomorrow, I want to give birth to a son and to bring him up a true man - a Russian soldier who will protect vulnerable and not hide in shelters like the majority of Russian men.'

Reports of her death have not been disputed by officials in the DPR.