Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 165 N.S. veteran injured in Ukraine war makes 'good and gut-wrenching' return home (Original story by Emma Smith · CBC News · Posted: May 05, 2022) Nova Scotia Veteran Dustin Rekunyk broke his shoulder, bruised his ribs fighting in eastern Ukraine. He had left for Ukraine on April 6 2022 to join a group of foreign fighters. The last thing Dustin Rekunyk remembers is a loud explosion on his left-hand side. The wall he was standing about 20 metres from blew up, breaking his shoulder, bruising four of his ribs and leaving him with a concussion. The single father from Halifax didn't find out these details until he woke up later in a recovery area for injured foreign fighters in Ukraine. Rekunyk, a fourth-generation Ukrainian who served with the Canadian Armed Forces for 15 years, took his first trip to his family's ancestral homeland in April 2022 to help defend it against the Russian invasion. He's among a group of Canadians leaving their homes behind to volunteer in the war effort. Rekunyk returned to Nova Scotia on April 24 2022 so he could get medical care for his injuries, but he said his mission in Ukraine isn't over. Landing back in Halifax felt both “good and gut-wrenching all at the same time,” he said. “It feels like I've left a piece of my heart in Ukraine, there's still a job and a mission to do there, and I've got to see that through.” Dustin Rekunyk, a fourth-generation Ukrainian and 15-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, travelled to his family's ancestral homeland to help defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Rekunyk first signed up with the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine (ILDU), an organization created by Ukraine for foreigners who want to volunteer to fight in the country. He was put on a list of people waiting to be deployed, but after being interviewed by CBC Mainstreet, someone reached out and told Rekunyk they knew a quicker way for him to get there. Dustin Rekunyk, a fourth-generation Ukrainian and 15-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, travelled to his family's ancestral homeland to help defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion. continued ...
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