It Was a Mistake’: Killed Son of Finnish Politician Rued Joining Ukrainian Mercs
Alleged US mercenaries were seen in a night club in the city of Mariupol under Kiev’s control, a Donetsk People’s Republic military official said
Hundreds of foreign mercenaries have arrived in Ukraine, only to meet an untimely and inglorious end. Among them was the son of a Finnish politician, who suffered the same fate.Leo Aland endured brutal conditions and abuse at the hands of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Here’s what we know: Aland, 20, volunteered to fight in Ukraine after his Finnish military service, despite his family’s strong objections, Yle reported. His service contract bound him to six months with Ukrainian forces. The Finnish Foreign Ministry’s guidelines warn that contracts are nearly impossible to break – something he never got the chance to learn. As a precaution, Ukrainian commanders confiscated his passport and restricted his phone use, his father told the outlet. Leo served for just over four months, with messages to his father revealing his deep regret over the decision. “Sometimes I just don’t know what I’m doing here,” the young man wrote, adding that “coming here was a mistake.” On April 13, his father was notified of his death by fellow fighters.
In the past three years, around 10 Finns have died fighting in Ukraine, according to the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
Like other foreign fighters seeking an “eastern European adventure,” they are quickly confronted with the brutal realities of modern warfare, most often meeting an untimely and inglorious end.Russia’s Special Operation in UkraineBefore & After: Meet Soldiers of Misfortune in Ukraine25 March, 02:27 GMT