Russia-Ukraine War: Ex-Canadian sniper to join Ukrainian army to fight Russian forces

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 16th day, an expert Canadian sharpshooter known as 'Wali' has landed in Ukraine and pledged to battle Russian forces as a volunteer fighter. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Wali, a former member of Canada's elite Royal 22e Regiment, travelled to Iraq on his own in 2015 to combat ISIS.

Between 2009 and 2011, the Canadian sniper served twice in Afghanistan as a sniper with the Canadian Armed Forces. He served in the same Canadian squad as the sniper who claimed the world record for the world's longest confirmed kill of 3.5 kilometres. Wali has already left his home in Canada, leaving behind a wife and a young boy, to fight as a volunteer in Ukraine.

"I want to help them. It’s as simple as that. I have to help because there are people here being bombarded just because they want to be European and not Russian," in a recent interview with the CBC, Wali stated.

Ukrainians received Wali with open arms, he claimed. He told CBC that, "They were so happy to have us,” Wali said. “It’s like we were friends right away. A week ago, I was still programming stuff. Now I’m grabbing anti-tank missiles in a warehouse to kill real people. … That’s my reality right now."

He claimed the hardest aspect of arriving in Ukraine was leaving his wife and son behind, who will be celebrating his first birthday without him. "I know, it's just awful. But me, in my head, when I see the images of destruction in Ukraine, it is my son that I see, in danger and who is suffering," he told The Sun.

3 other former Canadian troops accompanied him on his expedition

According to Wali, three other former Canadian troops accompanied him on his expedition. He travelled from Poland, facing a sea of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees on the other side of the border. He and other veterans have taken refuge at an abandoned house in Ukraine since crossing the border, awaiting a meeting with Ukrainian authorities.

Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has received support from all over the world. Earlier, a man from the United Kingdom (UK) claimed that he is travelling to Ukraine to fight Russian forces because he is not doing much with his life. Harvey Hunt, a 50-year-old man, had entered in the British Army over 34 years earlier and served for more than three years. Hunt is set to travel to Poland, where he will seek out other fighters, according to the Wales Online.

(With inputs from agencies)