Speaking to CTV News from a secret military training location in western Ukraine, Oake recalled watching the news about Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and feeling compelled to ‘involve.
This text is a translation of an article from CTV News.
“Seeing how many innocent people were being killed, I couldn’t stay home knowing I could do something to help,” Oake said.
Two months ago he joined the 25th Airborne Brigade of Ukraine. In the coming weeks, he will be deployed into combat for the first time as a drone operator.
The 34-year-old Torontonian first spoke to CTV News in the summer of 2022, while he was in Ukraine as a volunteer aid worker for an international NGO. He spoke with CTV News again upon his return to Canada in January 2023, as he tried to decompress from the trauma he suffered delivering food and medicine to the front lines.
Now, more than a year and a half later, speaking from a darkened tent, Mr. Oake says he is prepared to sacrifice his life to help Ukraine win what has become a war of attrition.
“I have completely accepted the possibility that I will most likely be injured. And although it’s unlikely, I could be killed.”
-Adam Oake
This week, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSS) released a chilling video showing the bodies of four men it claims are foreign fighters. The video, taken in Russia’s Bryansk region near Ukraine’s northern border, also shows a weapons cache and Canadian flags next to the bodies, which lie on a blue tarpaulin. On Tuesday, Global Affairs Canada confirmed that a Canadian had been killed in Russia.
According to retired Major General David Fraser, the longer the war drags on, the bleaker the situation becomes for Ukraine.
“President Zelinsky will accept everyone who is ready to fight for Ukraine. Regardless, there is a shortage of soldiers. They have been fighting for two years, most of the soldiers who started fighting have probably been injured or killed, and Russia continues to send more and more soldiers.”
Adam Oake is not Ukrainian and openly admits that he has no combat experience. He enlisted in the Ukrainian army in September, where he is training alongside many other Canadians who are all preparing to deploy in the coming weeks.
When asked if he thinks three or four months of military training will adequately prepare him for the war he is about to fight, the Canadian responds without hesitation: “Absolutely, the training here has been fantastic. » He says the physical training has been solid, as has the weapons and survival training.
However, according to retired General David Fraser, Mé Oake and other drone operators face significant risk on the battlefield as they are increasingly seen as priority targets.
“He is at incredible risk, both sides (Ukraine and Russia) are looking for these drone operators and trying to eliminate them. These operators are absolutely a top priority to find and kill.”
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