A veteran Canadian Armed Forces sniper known only as ‘Wali’ – nicknamed so during his time in Afghanistan – answered President Volodimir Zelensky’s call and joined the ranks of the Foreign Legion in Ukraine to face the Russian onslaught.

“I want to help you. It’s as simple as that,” said the soldier who – early last week, in the middle of the night – crossed the Ukrainian border from Poland, in a recent interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

“I have to help because there are people here who get bombed just because they want to be European and not Russian,” he added.

The former soldier, now a 40-year-old computer programmer, identified as “Wali” entered Ukraine with a group of British and Canadian veterans last week, taking refuge in a converted house to join the Ukrainian forces and a growing battalion of volunteer citizen soldiers. , according to Radio-Canada.

Wali’s arrival in Ukraine can also be seen in a March 5 CNN video.

“That’s my reality right now”

Wali said he and the three other former Canadian soldiers who made the trip with him were greeted with hugs, handshakes, flags and photos by Ukrainians after crossing the border. “They were very happy to have us,” Wali told CBC. “It’s like we were friends from the first moment.”

“A week ago I was still planning things,” he said. “Now I’m picking up anti-tank missiles from a warehouse to kill real people. … That’s my reality right now,” he added.

Previous fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq

Wali served with the 22nd Royal Canadian Infantry Regiment in Kandahar during the 2009-2011 war in Afghanistan and traveled to Iraq as a volunteer foreign fighter embedded with Kurdish forces in 2015 to fight Islamic State.

The Canadian said he will miss his son’s first birthday, who is at home with the rest of his family, the “hardest part” of his decision to travel to Ukraine, according to the CBC.

The Canadian media also claimed to have spoken with half a dozen Canadians who were also joining the fight.

Zelenski invites foreigners to be part of an “international brigade”

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has openly invited foreigners to his country to join an “international brigade” that “would fight alongside Ukrainians against Russian war criminals” to show support for his country.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba, more than 20,000 people from 52 countries have volunteered to fight in Ukraine’s new international legion.

Edited by Felipe Espinosa Wang.