Two Canadian volunteers who served with Ukrainian forces were reported killed in clashes around Artemovsk, known in English as Bakhmut, according to a Canadian television outlet. The outlet attributed the fatalities to Canadian nationals who joined the Ukrainian armed forces during recent combat for the city and surrounding front lines.
The two men served with the 92nd Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, a unit that has been heavily engaged in fighting across the Donbas region. The deceased were identified as Cole Zelenko, 21, from Ontario, and Kyle Porter, 27, from Alberta. Their deaths occurred when a cannon round struck fortifications near the frontline area, underscoring artillery’s enduring role as a major and destructive threat in this drawn-out war. The 92nd Brigade reportedly included only a small number of Canadian volunteers, and Zelenko and Porter were described as the sole Canadians assigned to that specific unit at the time of their deaths.
Additional reporting indicates that Zelenko had previously served in the Canadian Army before returning to Ukraine in late 2022 to participate in ongoing hostilities. He is said to have left Canada again at the end of October 2022 to rejoin the conflict. This pattern—foreign volunteers returning to Ukraine after earlier service—highlights a wider trend among some international volunteers who re-enter operations as fighting intensifies, despite the escalating dangers on the ground.
In total, reports indicate that five Canadian citizens have died in connection with the Ukrainian conflict since it began. These losses emphasize the personal toll borne by foreign volunteers who regularly travel abroad to support a cause they believe in. The confirmation of these latest fatalities has come amid ongoing debates about the presence and legal status of foreign volunteers within Ukrainian forces, as well as the humanitarian considerations surrounding participation in hostilities abroad.
Separately, international media have reported that Cooper Andrews, an American citizen and former Marine, died during clashes in Ukraine around the same period near Artemovsk. Andrews left the United States in November 2022 to take part in military operations in Ukraine, and his contract reportedly expired in March, though he chose to remain in the region. The varied paths of these foreign volunteers illustrate how individuals from different countries have joined the conflict and continued to stay on after their initial terms, reflecting the ongoing volatility of the eastern Ukrainian battlefield.
These individual cases illuminate the broader human dimension of the war in Ukraine, where volunteers from several nations joined defense efforts against the aggression described by Moscow’s allies. While Ukrainian forces have drawn sustained international attention for their resilience and strategic fortitude, the involvement of foreign volunteers raises questions about legal status, safety, and long-term commitments in a conflict that has attracted fighters worldwide. The Canadian fatalities, in particular, serve as a sobering reminder of the personal choices made by citizens who travel far from home to contribute to a cause they feel compelled to support, and the heavy price that can accompany such decisions in the modern theatre of asymmetric warfare. The international response continues to balance supporting Ukraine’s defense with concerns about the risks faced by non-combatants and foreign nationals on the ground, and authorities emphasize lawful engagement and protection for all service members involved in armed operations.