'I'm eager to go back': northern Ontario soldier enjoying vacation at home from war in Ukraine

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 15, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Aidan Kazur is looking astatine his hometown of Kirkland Lake with antithetic eyes this month.

"Everything benignant of looks the same, but astir similar a dream, wherever there's a caller store present oregon there's a small quality here," helium said.

The 25-year-old is location successful bluish Ontario aft spending the past twelvemonth connected the frontline of the warfare successful Ukraine.

His parent Kim Kazur says she's relieved to person him location and alternatively of watching for messages connected societal media, she's blessed to hear the inheritance chatter of online chats coming from his bedroom, "like helium had ne'er been gone."

"I person been sleeping overmuch amended than I've slept successful the past year," she said.

Aidan, who antecedently served successful the Canadian subject reserves, felt compelled successful July 2024 to motion up to combat for Ukrainian forces, trying to repel the Russian penetration that began successful February 2022.

"It's important to maine and I deliberation it's important to astir Canadians that the bully successful the satellite wins and is supported," helium said. 

"Anyone who genuinely wants to marque a quality successful the satellite should effort their hardest to marque a difference, to the champion of their abilities."

Kim says it took her astir six months to get utilized to the thought of her lad warring successful a war. 

"I was 1 aggravated mom. I was not supportive. I cried and cried," she said. "I don't similar it, but I'm astatine slightest astatine bid with everything now."

Kim helped rise $26,000 from Kirkland Lake and the surrounding country to bargain Aidan's Ukrainian military unit a transport vehicle, with a small leftover for different needs they mightiness person successful the weeks ahead.

While helium can't stock circumstantial details astir the work he's doing astatine the frontline, Aidan says he's precise arrogant of the enactment Ukrainian soldiers are getting from regular Canadians, arsenic good arsenic the national authorities itself.  

"I can't kick excessively much. I've been beauteous arrogant that it's been a beauteous bi-partisan contented here," helium said. "I've ne'er been genuinely disquieted that idiosyncratic is going to flip the power and conscionable halt helping astatine all."

Aidan says portion he's enjoyed seeing household and friends again, and taking a interruption from communicating with them implicit societal media, helium has nary doubts astir returning to the warfare successful August.  

"Well, I'm going to marque the astir of my abrogation clip here, but I'm anxious to spell back," helium said.