A Finn who fought on the side of Ukraine fell in June. It has not been possible to officially confirm the death, because the area has remained under the control of the Russians.
The family of a Finnish soldier who fell in Ukraine has not been assured of their son’s fate.
The Finnish volunteer fighter was said to have died at the beginning of June. However, he is still officially considered missing as his death has not been verified.
The father of the fallen Finn tells that the boy’s body has remained on the Russian-controlled side of the front line. Ukrainian troops or volunteers have not been able to get there, despite their efforts.
– They are working hard to get him to Finland, but it is terribly difficult to make progress there. There are bullets all the time, the soldier’s father says.
The uncertainty has been difficult for the relatives. For example, a funeral cannot be held before the person is declared dead.
However, in mid-June, the family received an unofficial notification from the Ukrainian armed forces that the boy had passed away. According to it, the Finnish soldier’s comrades in arms would have seen him fall.
– This is what we want to believe. There are so few other options, father says.
There is conflicting information about the events
According to the Finnish soldier’s father, there has been conflicting and sometimes false information about his son’s fall.
For example, there are several versions of the events that led to the death: in one, the soldier fell in a Russian artillery center, in another, he ran into a mine. Full certainty may not be obtained.
The man was also not a member of the Nordic group of medical men when he fell, as was initially reported in the media. He had served in the group earlier in the war, before returning to frontline combat duties.
– At one point, it was reported that the body was being brought home by plane. At that point I hit the gloves on the counter, the father says.
The venue has also remained uncertain. The father’s idea is that the boy has fallen in the direction of Zaporizhia.
Kept in touch with ‘s editor almost throughout the war
The fallen Finnish fighter left for Ukraine soon after the Russian invasion began in March 2022.
The man kept in touch with ‘s editor during the war. He was one of several volunteers who relayed news about the situation of foreign fighters for ‘s coverage.
According to his story, he participated in the counterattack that led to the liberation of Kherson in the fall of 2022, for example. According to his father, he received a medal for his activities on the front line, among other things.
After the Hersonis attack, the Finnish fighter returned to Finland and applied for work. However, he soon returned to Ukraine.
The man is known to be the first Finn who fought in the ranks of Ukraine and died in the war.
In addition, it has been claimed that one Finn who fought on the side of Russia fell already in early 2022. However, has not been able to confirm this information.