• A 20-year-old from Wellington is serving in Ukraine’s Ground Forces.
• The soldier, who wants to be named only as Cass, joined the 23rd Separate Mechanised Brigade in January.
• Despite no prior military experience, he operates drones and has adapted to combat conditions.

A 20-year-old from New Zealand with no military experience has joined the Ukrainian Army in the fight against the Russian invasion.

The man, who wants to be named only as Cass, is known to his comrades as “Kiwi”. He grew up in Wellington and made the move without much knowledge of war, apart from video games, after learning about the suffering in Ukraine.

“I decided to fight for Ukraine after seeing the news about the horrific suffering the invaders were causing. I knew I couldn’t stay on the sidelines.”

Cass is a drone operator and, when he talked to the Herald, had finished a mission only the day before.

He is in the 23rd Separate Mechanised Brigade - a part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces formed in February 2023, during the Russian invasion.

“I did a fair bit of personal training before coming here, so I could pass the physical fitness requirements.”

Cass is serving in the 23rd Separate Mechanised Brigade of Ukraine’s Ground Forces. Photo / U23rd Separate Mechanised Brigade

Cass arrived in Ukraine in January. Soon after stepping off the train, he heard an air-raid warning.

He said it was hard to articulate what being in combat was like to those who had not experienced it.

“You definitely have to shut out the thought of dying and just focus on the mission. It’s mentally and physically taxing, though often you don’t really notice it building up.

“It’s quite draining, but I have a whole lot of people and things to fight for, so I won’t give up. You never know what a mission will be like before you go.

“I hate going to and from the combat positions more than I dislike actually being there. FPVs [drones] buzzing around and artillery hitting close by definitely keep the adrenaline pumping.”

While he had no previous military training, he does have a passion for video games.

“I play Shadow of Chernobyl and War Thunder with my squadmates. Funny story about War Thunder - the modelling of tank armour in that game is quite realistic, so one time during an anti-armour mission, I remembered the weak part of a T-72 we killed based on my knowledge from that game.”

Cass says combat is physically and mentally taxing.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II. New Zealand authorities have condemned Russian attacks since the invasion began.

Cass admits it’s upsetting to travel through Ukrainian towns, not unlike some in New Zealand, and see them destroyed by the war, but what gets him through is remembering who he’s fighting for.

“If I dwell on it too much, yeah, it’s pretty upsetting to think about.

“I’m always amazed by the resilience of people trying to live their lives here. Just like back home, people are just trying to get by; they go to work, go home to their families, even as war rages around them, they live on and endure.”

He said friends and his caregiver, whom he considers his mother, supported his decision, but were still worried for his safety.

“My friends have been super-supportive and lovely, and sent me care packages from back home. I’ve always liked to say that my friends are my family.

“I think of them when I fight. I think of my friends at home in NZ and around the world too. I would rather fight the Russian invaders here than risk the chance they win and move to invade somewhere even closer to home.”

Since being thrown into combat, he said he was lucky not to have sustained many injuries.

“[I] buggered my hand up pretty badly after having an ammunition crate dropped on it, but nothing too crazy, haven’t lost any limbs or anything.”

He is the only Kiwi in his tight-knit team, whom he describes as his brothers.

Cass admits struggling with the language barrier in Ukraine.

One of the biggest challenges is the language barrier, but his brothers-in-arms are helping him learn, as is his girlfriend in Kyiv.

“My lovely girlfriend and Duolingo are also great helpers.

“It’s funny, I came here for war and found love instead. Well, I’ve found both, really.”

Once the war is over, he wants to stay in Ukraine.

“They’ll never defeat Ukraine’s greatest weapon: our spirit.”

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.