Global Affairs Canada says two more Canadians have died in the war between Ukraine and Russia, bringing the total number of Canadians killed in that conflict to 11.
An obituary for Alain Derasp says the veteran of the Canadian Forces Royal 22nd Regiment and father of four died in Ukraine on Feb. 27.
A military source who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media says Derasp had been providing first aid training in Ukraine and died of an illness.
Jean-François Ratelle was killed in combat, says his Ukrainian friend Anna Filippova.
Ratelle, who used the nom de guerre Hrulf, was from Joliette, Que., and led a unit of foreign fighters in Ukraine called the Norman Brigade.
The deaths were originally reported by the Russian government in social media posts that included photos of the two men and other personal details.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2024
Banner image via The Canadian Press - A Ukrainian serviceman inspects the damage to a building at the Pecherskyi district, after a Russian air attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday March 25, 2024. Five people were injured in the strike, two were hospitalized. Global Affairs says two recent deaths in Ukraine brings the number of Canadians who have died helping to defend the European country from a Russian invasion to 11.
