An aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Global Affairs says two Canadians have been killed in Bakhmut, as tributes pour in for the men who were from Ontario and Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Libkos
Global Affairs says two Canadians have been in Ukraine as tributes pour in for the men who were from Ontario and Alberta.
Family and aid workers have identified Kyle Porter of Alberta and Cole Zelenco of Ontario as the Canadians killed last week in Bakhmut.
Zelenco was described in an online fundraiser as strong and courageous with a fierce sense of loyalty.
Porter’s body was retrieved from the front lines and transported to Kharkiv by Paul Hughes, a Canadian running a charity in Ukraine.
Hughes says while he did not know the two Canadians, their comrades described them as brave heroes.
The eastern Donbas region where the men were killed has seen the fiercest fighting of the war.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2023.
