'They saved my life that day': The inside story of a Canadian wounded in Ukraine

The group of battle-hardened soldiers fighting for Ukraine had only just been dropped off in a forest full of Russians when the mortars began to fall.

One of the first explosions sent shrapnel tearing through Shadow's uniform, piercing his chest and torso and shredding the arteries and veins in his left arm, leaving blood pouring out uncontrollably.

"My friend put one tourniquet on me, [but] the bleeding kept going," said the former Canadian soldier, now volunteering in Ukraine's defence, in an exclusive interview with CBC News. "So he put two tourniquets on me … at some point, I wanted to sleep … just a little nap, and they were like, 'Stay with us, stay with us.' Those guys — basically, they saved my life that day. So I will be forever grateful."

This dramatic, front-line account of a direct attack and medical evacuation amid Ukraine's conflict with Russia is rare from a foreign fighter, offering insight into what can happen in the war zone.

CBC is not identifying Shadow, a nom de guerre he uses on the battlefield, over concerns his family would be targeted should he ever be captured. 

He was stationed for three months in the heavily contested region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, the scene of intense fighting as Russian soldiers have slowly advanced over the summer months.

CBC first met the 34-year-old native of Sherbrooke, Que., more than two years ago, shortly after he arrived in Ukraine, along with an approximate 20,000 other experienced foreign fighters, to volunteer in the battle against Russia. That figure comes from the Lieber Institute, part of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

It's not clear how many Canadians have taken part, but some estimates suggest around 550 over the entirety of this chapter in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) doesn't track the number of front-line deaths of Canadians in Ukraine, but told CBC it "is aware of the deaths of 20 Canadians in Ukraine since February 24, 2022." GAC said those aren't necessarily all combat deaths.

Now recovering after multiple surgeries in Ukrainian hospitals away from the front lines, he recalls the seconds after he was struck.

"The pain was horrible," he said. "But the medic was in another foxhole and they were all under mortar fire, too."

Morphine, normally administered soon after an injury, would not arrive for more than an hour, after Russian forces ended their bombardment of the forest, trees splintering around the troops from the explosions.

Despite all this, Shadow wants to get back to the front as soon as he has recovered.

"It became a huge part of my life. And I like fighting. I like the people here. I like helping Ukraine."