Northern Ontario man fights for Ukraine as drone operator, while his mother rallies support back home

Faith Greco · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

It's been much than fractional a twelvemonth since Kim Kazur's lad Aidan announced his plans to unpaid successful the Ukrainian army, warring against the Russian invasion. 

"It was not a pleasant clip for either of us. He lone gave maine astir a week's informing that helium was leaving, which, successful hindsight, was smart, due to the fact that if I had had 3 months to effort to alteration his mind, I would have," Kim said connected CBC's Morning North Monday. 

"I was aggravated and scared, but the 1 happening that helium pulled retired of maine is simply a committedness not to effort to guilt travel him into staying oregon trying to alteration his mind. And I've stuck to that."

She often finds herself asking if her lad is "ready to travel location yet" but said she usually receives a effect of, "not yet." 

Aidan Kazur, from Kirkland Lake, Ont., has been moving arsenic a drone relation connected and disconnected the beforehand enactment successful eastbound Ukraine since past summer.

A mother's interest and pride

Aidan said it was hard past summertime to "keep a concealed that you cognize is going to alteration your life," which would person a almighty effect connected the radical astir him. 

"The time yet arrived wherever everything was confirmed and acceptable to go, and I needed to archer her, which was a precise hard conversation, fto maine archer you," Aidan said. "But I mean, arsenic my parent said, it worked, and we've moved guardant together, and she's been precise supportive of me, adjacent if she is precise encouraging that I find my mode location sooner alternatively than later."

He's portion of the the Third Separate Assault Brigade, a unpaid portion successful the Ukrainian Ground Forces formed successful 2022 during the aboriginal days of the full-scale invasion. Aidan, who has Ukrainian heritage, joined the Canadian Army Reserve astatine 16 years old.

"I've been capable to leverage my erstwhile experiences successful the Canadian Army," helium said.

Aidan said during his 7 years of work with the Canadian military, helium was "ready to support the state oregon service for quality rights astir the world" but didn't get the opportunity.

"So there's a definite longing determination wherever you bid for a occupation and you ne'er got to bash it. Now I person the accidental to bash it," helium said. 

Aidan grew up successful the local Ukrainian community, wherever his church's clergyman would stock stories of Ukrainian cities, hoping Aidan and his household would 1 time sojourn and reconnect with their ancestral roots.

"Instead of coming present to spot my household history, I've travel present to support it and support the radical present who are trying to make their ain nationalist identity, which is simply a precise almighty feeling for maine arsenic well," Aidan said.

He said his information is ever astatine the backmost of his mind, but he's with an experienced portion and he's ne'er been "too fearful of the circumstances."

"I person been to the constituent where, you know, there's Russian artillery shooting oregon trying to, I guess, purpose astatine america specifically, which is simply a small much idiosyncratic than conscionable drones," helium said. 

Kim said erstwhile she hears astir his work, her tummy turns and bosom pounds. She said Aidan gives her lone basic-level accusation and protects her from immoderate of his experiences. That way, she "can't obsessively get connected the net and look for elaborate information."

But Kim besides said she's highly arrogant of him.

"I raised him successful the Ukrainian church, and you know, we've followed tons of Ukrainian traditions. He is simply a precise benignant and thoughtful man. He ever has been precise caring and cautious with people. He values kindness implicit everything," Kim said. 

Fundraising for the beforehand lines

Kim said her assemblage has been rallying down her son, sending her messages and posting connected societal media. She's besides been fundraising, with each proceeds going straight to Aidan's portion for the acquisition of antiaircraft equipment.

"The main absorption that we started with was looking to acquisition nighttime imaginativeness goggles, due to the fact that determination are not capable to spell around, truthful soldiers person to stock them. So if 1 acceptable gets damaged, that could interaction a batch of soldiers and their safety. So we're fundraising for that," she said, adding that the wealth won't beryllium utilized for ammunition.

Kim said successful the archetypal few days of sharing her son's story, Kirkland Lake had raised much than $13,000. A section Facebook group, KL Ukrainian Community, is down overmuch of those efforts. The municipality is besides location to exile families from Ukraine who earlier fled the war.

Aidan said helium plans connected warring for arsenic agelong arsenic Russia's warfare connected Ukraine continues. He said helium wants radical to cognize that this is "not a concern that is lost." 

"The archetypal opening enactment of the Ukrainian anthem is, 'Ukraine has not yet perished.' And truthful I privation to stress that and say, bash not number this out," helium said.

"It's perfectly a winnable scenario, but we request assistance to bash it."