Taiwanese soldier dies defending Ukraine’s freedom

A Taiwanese volunteer soldier who fought on the front lines in Ukraine to help defend the country against Russian invasion was recently killed, the Foreign Ministry and a ruling party lawmaker said yesterday.

The ministry confirmed the deaths of the Taiwanese through the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, said deputy spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉).

Hsiao said they had contacted the soldier’s family in Taiwan and promised to help settle matters related to his death.

Photo: Taipei Times

The family did not want his name revealed to the public and did not want to talk to the media, he said, calling on journalists to respect their wishes.

However, local media identified the deceased as 44-year-old Wu Chung-ta (吳忠達) from Kaohsiung, who was also a veteran of the Army Special Forces Command.

Wu joined the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine last year, the Chinese-language newspaper China Times reported.

After serving in the unit for six months, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He died on Saturday in a Russian bombing in the Luhansk region, the China Times reported.

Wu is the second Taiwanese soldier known to have been killed fighting for Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in early 2022.

Tseng Sheng-kuang (曾聖光), a 25-year-old member of the International Legion of the Ukrainian Territorial Armed Forces, was killed in November 2022.

Wu’s death was first reported to Taipei-based pastor Huang Chun-sheng (黃春生) by a group of Taiwanese fighting for Ukraine, Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said yesterday.

Shen, a member of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee, said he had contacted the ministry and Taiwan’s representative in Poland to ask them to confirm Wu’s death with Ukrainian authorities.

A Ukrainian drone identified the location of Wu’s body, but Ukrainian forces cannot recover it because the battle is still ongoing, Shen said.

“We will ensure that Wu’s remains are returned to his home in Taiwan after his funeral and related ceremonies are completed in Ukraine,” he said.

There are still six Taiwanese serving as volunteer fighters for Ukraine, sources told the China Times.

Following news of Wu’s death, the Republic of China Marine Corps Retired Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) Association expressed condolences and said Taiwan had lost a true warrior.

Association chairman Chao Wu-chang (趙武章) praised Wu for upholding the values ​​of the Taiwanese military.

Wu had trained with the International Legion before joining the conflict and had briefly returned to Taiwan this year to receive treatment for injuries he suffered in the battle against Russia, Chao said.

Before returning to Ukraine, Wu had visited the NCO association and shared his experiences in Ukraine, Chao added.

Ukraine’s firepower was inferior to that of its enemy when the war broke out, forcing Ukrainian forces to fight in small units, he told Wu.

Although small units meant more serious injuries and casualties, Wu persevered throughout the long conflict, he said.

According to Chao, Wu told him that he was proud to have served as a soldier of the Republic of China.

With Wu’s death, Taiwan has lost a true warrior, but his spirit inspires members of the armed forces, Chao said.