As the Russian invasion of Ukraine rages on, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of a second Taiwanese volunteer soldier fighting for Ukraine this Sunday. 44-year-old Taiwan Army Special Forces Command veteran Wu Chung-ta (吳忠達) was struck down by heavy artillery fire while fighting on the frontline in Eastern Ukraine. DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) added that Wu’s body is still on the battlefield as extraction remains dangerous and difficult at this time and that the official cause of death will need to be confirmed once his remains have been recovered.
The first Taiwanese combatant to die in the Russian invasion of Ukraine was 25-year-old Tseng Sheng-kuang (曾聖光), who was killed in action in November 2022.
Shen said that currently around five or six Taiwanese volunteers are serving on the frontlines defending Ukraine, likely upset with Russia’s aggression. DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) stated that he believes many of the volunteers have gone to serve with the notion that they cannot expect international assistance for Taiwan if they do not assist other democratic countries in similar situations.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine will enter its third year this upcoming February. During this time, numerous Taiwanese soldiers have volunteered to defend Ukraine. Wang stressed that though Taiwan’s government does not encourage its people to join the frontline, it will provide maximum assistance to volunteers who encounter difficulties or die in battle.