麻豆影视

World

    • 'I couldn't stay home': Canadian with no prior military training joins Ukrainian forces

    Share

    In the early days of Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, Adam Oake, a Canadian with no prior military training, sold all of his Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia to buy a plane ticket.

    Speaking to CTV National News from a secret military training location in western Ukraine, Oake recalled watching the news of Russia鈥檚 invasion back in February 2022 and feeling compelled to get involved.

    鈥淪eeing how many innocent people were being brutalized, I couldn鈥檛 stay home knowing that I could do something to help,鈥 said Oake.

    Two months ago, he joined Ukraine鈥檚 25th Airborne Brigade. In the coming weeks, he鈥檒l be deployed into battle for the first time as a drone operator.

    The 34-year-old Toronto native first spoke to 麻豆影视 in the summer of 2022, while he was in Ukraine volunteering as an aid worker with an international NGO. He spoke again with 麻豆影视 when he returned to Canada in January of 2023 as he tried to decompress from the trauma he鈥檇 endured delivering food and medicine to the front lines.

    Now, more than a year and a half later, speaking from a dark tent, Oake says he鈥檚 willing to sacrifice his life in an effort to help Ukraine win what has now become a war of attrition.

    鈥淚've totally accepted the possibility that I will most likely be wounded. And while it鈥檚 unlikely, I could be killed. There is that possibility as well.鈥

    Canadian Adam Oake poses for an image in his Ukrainian military uniform. (Image courtesy of Adam Oake)

    This week, Russia鈥檚 Federal Security Service (FSS) released chilling video that shows the bodies of four men who it claims are foreign fighters. The video, taken in Russia鈥檚 Bryansk region near Ukraine鈥檚 northern border, also shows a cache of weapons and Canadian flags beside the bodies, which are lying on a blue tarp. On Tuesday, Global Affairs Canada confirmed that one Canadian was killed in Russia.

    Retired Major General David Fraser says the longer the war goes on, the more grim the situation is becoming for Ukraine.

    鈥淧resident Zelinsky will take anyone who're prepared to fight for Ukraine. It doesn't matter, he's got a shortage of soldiers. They鈥檝e been fighting for a couple years, most of the soldiers who started fighting have most likely been wounded or killed, and Russia keeps putting in more and more (soldiers), this is a dire situation for Ukraine,鈥 says Fraser.

    Adam Oake isn鈥檛 Ukrainian, and he openly admits he has no previous combat experience. He enlisted with the Ukrainian military in September, where he鈥檚 been training alongside multiple other Canadians who are all preparing to be deployed in the coming weeks.

    Canadian Ukrainian Soldier Adam Oake speaks to Senior Correspondent for CTV National News Adrian Ghobrial.

    When asked if he feels that three or four months of military training will adequately prepare him for the war that he鈥檚 about to enter, the soft-spoken Canadian doesn鈥檛 hesitate in his response, 鈥淎bsolutely, the training here has been fantastic.鈥 He says the physical training has been solid, along with the arms and survival training.

    Though the reality, according to retired Major General David Fraser, is that Oake and other drone operators are at significant risk on the battlefield as they've increasingly become a high-priority target.

    鈥淗e鈥檚 at an incredible risk, both sides (Ukraine and Russia) look for these drone operators and try and take them out. These operators are absolutely a top priority to find and kill.鈥

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.

    A landlord from B.C.鈥檚 Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.

    Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.

    More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.

    New changes are coming into effect that aim to protect bank customers in the event of a scam or address other bank-related issues.

    Canada

    • Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.

    • Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.

    • Police in northern Ontario say a razor blade was found in a child's candy on Halloween night.

    • More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    • Scientists find new piece in puzzle of America's oldest tombstone

      The oldest known surviving tombstone in the United States is an elaborate display of wealth 鈥 an intricately carved slab of black limestone initially laid in the floor of the second church of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent British settlement in North America.

    • Over four days on the water in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Heather Bowlby and her team from Fisheries and Oceans Canada tagged 15 great white sharks.

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.

    A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company鈥檚 strangest discoveries.

    When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.

    After 14 years of repairing and selling bicycles out of the garage of her home, a Guelph, Ont. woman鈥檚 efforts have ended 鈥 for now, at least.

    Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.

    Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.

    New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    • Concerns are growing about British Columbia鈥檚 local economy as the possibility of another province-wide labour disruption at ports looms.

    • A university basketball star on Vancouver Island is speaking out about the treatment she's received as a transgender athlete.

    • A convict who became Canada 's youngest designated dangerous offender after sexually assaulting a three-month-old baby is seeking escorted leave from prison to attend Indigenous cultural ceremonies in Vancouver.

    • More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.

    • Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.

    • Two people were taken to hospital after police responded to a man following around strangers in Brampton late Thursday night.

    • A new domestic violence report out of the University of Calgary could help flag early warning signs.

    • Firefighters needed to rescue the occupants of a burning home in Penbrooke Meadows after one of the evacuees climbed out of an upstairs window and was stranded on the roof.

    • A Danielle Smith leadership vote and policy surrounding gender and net-zero emissions targets will take centre stage when the United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting (AGM) gets underway Friday.

    • An Ottawa resident is facing charges in connection to a fatal crash on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end last May. Emergency crews responded to the head-on collision on Highway 417 by Kinburn Side Road just before 9:30 a.m. on May 14.

    • The Royal Canadian Legion's Montgomery Branch in downtown Ottawa is for sale, 60 years after the Legion opened the renovated headquarters. The listing on Realtor.ca shows Branch 351 on Kent Street is for sale at $2.999 million.

    • Drivers will be paying more to park at several municipal parking lots in Ottawa, including the two lots in the ByWard Market. The short-term parking rate at the parking garage at 70 Clarence Street increases to $2 for 30 minutes.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Public transit users in Montreal are faced with service disruptions on two fronts on Friday as part of the REM and the green line on the Metro are shut down.

    • The bronze statue of the famous Formula 1 driver Gilles Villeneuve that was erected in front of the museum dedicated to his memory, in Berthierville, Que. was stolen.

    • There will be several major road closures in and around the Montreal area, including on the Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge and the Ville-Marie Expressway (R-136) towards downtown.

    • The Alberta government has tabled three bills that will change, among other things, how transgender youth and athletes are treated in the province.

    • A Danielle Smith leadership vote and policy surrounding gender and net-zero emissions targets will take centre stage when the United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting (AGM) gets underway Friday.

    • Flames shot into the morning sky from a garage fire at 99 Street and 90 Avenue on Friday morning.

    • A 19-person cabinet has been announced in New Brunswick, the day before Saturday鈥檚 swearing-in for the premier and ministers.

    • The Nova Scotia RCMP says a razorblade and pre-rolled cannabis joints were found in separate treat bags on Halloween.

    • Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.

    • A former Manitoba hockey coach has pleaded guilty to luring and sexually assaulting a teenage player.

    • A 1970s film that found a cult following in Winnipeg is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of special events.

    • A newly elected Saskatchewan Party government got back to work on Thursday, with returning and new government members meeting for the first time.

    • The Regina Humane Society (RHS) is asking for help as it deals with a large number of puppies currently in its care.

    • Erick Buhr, the man accused of killing his grandmother, Viola Erb, is now representing himself at his second degree murder trial.

    • A Guelph man is facing assault charges after a stabbing in downtown Guelph.

    • UPDATE

      UPDATE

      An 80-year-old Cambridge woman is dead following a crash in Cambridge Thursday morning.

    • A newly elected Saskatchewan Party government got back to work on Thursday, with returning and new government members meeting for the first time.

    • Bobby Cameron will serve another term as Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), following an election at Saskatoon鈥檚 TCU place on Thursday.

    • Located in Saskatoon鈥檚 Southwest, Ward 2 encompasses several residential and industrial neighborhoods.

    • Police in northern Ontario say a razor blade was found in a child's candy on Halloween night.

    • Two males, including one young offender, were arrested Thursday evening after a shooting at a grocery store on Notre Dame Avenue in Sudbury.

    • An engineer who filed false reports that said a tailings dam protecting the Magnetawan River had been repaired has been fined $5,000.

    • The St. Thomas Fire Department says it was an extreme case of renoviction that led to the closure of an apartment building in the south end of the city, following numerous safety violations.

    • The city of London is contributing more than $3 million for an office to residential conversion downtown.

    • As reported on Tuesday, police said a man was with his family in a park near King Street and Thames Street, when an unknown man approached.

    • A federal offender wanted for breaching his statutory release in July has been apprehended.

    • Now that Halloween is over and done with, many will be looking for ways to be rid of their pumpkins.

    • Ontario Provincial Police have charged a resident of the apartment building on King Street with arson.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Windsor police have charged a 25-year-old man with first-degree murder in the death of a 69-year-old man in south-central Windsor.

    • While patrolling for stolen vehicles in the Bothwell area around 12:15 a.m. on Oct. 29, police saw a pickup truck approaching. After getting the license plate, an office tried to make a U-turn, but the truck sped away.

    • A Windsor Paralympian has been announced as the National Hero Honouree by Canada's Walk of Fame.

    • Concerns are growing about British Columbia鈥檚 local economy as the possibility of another province-wide labour disruption at ports looms.

    • A university basketball star on Vancouver Island is speaking out about the treatment she's received as a transgender athlete.

    • A convict who became Canada 's youngest designated dangerous offender after sexually assaulting a three-month-old baby is seeking escorted leave from prison to attend Indigenous cultural ceremonies in Vancouver.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • The University of Lethbridge Pronghorn Athletics Annual Safe Ride Home campaign is making a return this year, but with a new name.

    • A three goal outburst in the first period of Wednesday night鈥檚 game against the Swift Current Broncos was all the Hurricanes need on their way to 3-1 win at home against the Swift Current Broncos.

    • A 27-year-old security guard has been charged after an incident where a bar patron sustained life-threatening injuries.

    • A 40-year-old suspect has been charged with sexual assault following an incident Wednesday in Sault Ste. Marie.

    • Juanita Migwans 鈥 or 'Winnie,' as her family calls her 鈥 of M'Chigeeng First Nation has been missing for almost a month.

    • The City of Greater Sudbury has been chosen to host the Ontario 55+ Summer Games next year.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视