Irina Yanina was born in the town of Taldy-Kurgan, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.

[2] On 31 August 1999, Sgt Yanina was with an evacuation group which rendered assistance to wounded soldiers during the battle for Karamakhi village.

Moreover, she rode into the battle in APC under heavy enemy fire for three times and managed to save twenty-eight soldiers of federal forces.

Irina Yanina organized the shipping of wounded and covered the operation with fire from an assault rifle.

Sgt Yanina had successfully helped the wounded to get out of the burning vehicle, but couldn’t manage to leave it herself and died in the fire.