There are many reasons why a foreigner might enlist to fight in a war that has nothing to do with him.
One, of course, is money. Open-ended contracts in Ukraine pay an average of about $2,500 a month, an attractive sum for some men who come here from countries with few good economic opportunities for them.
But some fighters at the jungle position of the 2nd International Army Corps, formed at the direction of Ukraine's president in the days after Russia's invasion in February 2022, said what they were looking for It's more than that.
One soldier, a Pole nicknamed Konrad 13, described the war as a calling, even a blessing. Back home, he said, he had a difficult upbringing. Then, at age 41, he felt like he was at a dead end.
Yes, the salary is attractive, says Konrad 13, but I also feel a sense of purpose.
“When I came here, my life changed,” he said. “I started growing here. It's been an evolution and I feel like life is coming back to me. I have changed and become a different person. This is my family now – my real family.”
During their rotation – the Ukrainian army forbade saying how long it lasted and how many fighters were in the unit – the men were involved in repeated skirmishes with the Russians along the way. During the day, fighting flares up every three or four hours, often lasting an hour. At night, the bombs came.
At the end of the rotation, with a new group of soldiers arriving to replace them, the soldiers prepared their gear for the journey. But they had to hold back: A Russian drone appeared overhead at the far edge of the last trench.
It was more than an hour later that Tsygan allowed his troops to enter the open space separating them from the trenches and enjoy a moment of peace.
Before returning to the fight.
