‘I was terrified by him’: Northerner in the front line in Ukraine

When Aidan Kazur graduated from the kindergarten, he wanted to be a soldier when he grew up.

Two decades later, the 25 -year -old Kirkland Lake resident is now serving in the Ukrainian army. Fund collection has been released to help its brigade buy very necessary equipment.

Aidan’s mother, Kim Kazur, shared that her connection with Ukraine is deep.

“The side of my father’s family is all Ukrainian, so I’m half Ukrainian and Aidan was raised by going to the Ukraine church in Lake Kirkland,” he said.

“We have always been part of the Ukrainian community here.”

The war in Ukraine began in February 2022, when Russia launched a large -scale invasion.

Aidan’s participation with Ukraine did not start on the battlefield.

When the war began, Kirkland Lake welcomed several Ukrainian families, and Aidan actively participated in the collection of supplies and helping them to establish themselves, Kim said.

His military aspirations, combined with the desire to help Ukraine directly led him to enlist.

Aidan had previously served for approximately eight years as a reservist of the Algonquin Regiment in Timmins, training in Petawawa and Meaford.

After facing personal challenges, including leg surgeries and uncertainty caused by Covid-19 pandemic, he requested to serve in Ukraine.

“He had all this training and these skills,” Kim said.

“He thought: ‘Why wouldn’t I go there and do what I can instead of a 18 -year -old Ukrainian person who leaves the university and who has to go to war and not know anything about it?'”

The past spring began the application process. For July, he told his mother his plans, giving him just over a week to process the news before his departure.

“I was terrified by him,” Kim said.

“But I promised that I wouldn’t try to blame him to stay. That was the commitment I made. I didn’t agree with him at that time, but I would support him.”

Aidan officially joined his unit on August 1, 2024, after undergoing several weeks of training in kyiv.

His linguistic skills, perfected through years of studying Russian at the University of Ottawa and later Ukrainian with an online tutor, helped him integrate into a Ukrainian unit instead of an international brigade.

Now parked at Kharkiv Oblast, Aidan is a recognition drone operator.

“When it is in charge, there are about 800 meters that separate them and the Russians and turn inside and outside,” Kim said.

“Ukraine is trying to be more in a defensive mode. So, where he is, they are not trying to hurry the front line and gain territory. They are trying to prevent Russia from moving to Ukraine.”

He describes a strong sense of camaraderie within his unit, which has roots in the elite forces of Azov, said Kim.

Despite the hard realities of war, it maintains a positive perspective, he said.

“You can almost always listen to a smile in his voice,” Kim said. “It treats it as an adventure, but it is very serious about the mission.”

Communication with Aidan is sporadic, said Kim. While on the front line, he and his unit avoid using the Internet to avoid detection.

“Every morning, I wake up looking for the small brands of blue checks in WhatsApp,” he said.

“That is my measure of relief. When he spends three or four days without an answer, I start anxious.”

The Aidan Brigade is well equipped, but the supplies are limited. Night vision glasses, for example, are shared among soldiers, increasing risks if one is damaged, Kim said.

To support Aidan and his fellow soldiers, his family and the local Ukrainian community launched a fundraising.

“We have a very strong Ukrainian community, and we have made a lot of fundraising since the war began,” Kim said.

“Now, we want to make sure that Aidan and their unit are as safe as they can be.”

In the first 24 hours, almost $ 10,000 were raised.

The money is to buy night vision glasses, mounts, balance weights and a generator. Any additional funds will go to first aid equipment, including field tourniquettes that come out lives.

Although they initially planned to reevaluate its commitment after six months, it has no immediate plans to return, Kim said.

“You can return home for a visit, but it is not over,” he said.

“He is living the objective that established himself at age five when he said he wanted to be a soldier.”

Kim said that continuous Canadian support for Ukraine is fundamental.

“Sometimes in life, we have to choose one side. And for him, he has chosen the right side,” he said.

Donations can be done through the transfer of E (protected email).