Canadian Soldier in the Ukrainian Army: ‘We’re fighting for our children’s future’

April Huggett was born and raised in Canada. She spent her entire life in the small mountain town of Castlegar, raising three children and running an antique shop she loved. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, news from across the ocean shocked her. Huggett had no Ukrainian roots, no ties to the country before 2022. But when she saw images of children at the Polish-Ukrainian border—children who looked like her own—she couldn’t stay indifferent.

Determined to help, she started small: booking apartments in Ukraine through Airbnb, buying tickets to Mykolaiv Zoo—not to visit, but to support local businesses. Soon, she wanted to do more. She rallied friends and neighbors to collect humanitarian aid, held a garage sale, and raised around $7,000. Meanwhile, volunteers from all over the world, of different ages and backgrounds, began arriving in Ukraine. That’s when she realized she didn’t have to help from afar—if they could do it, so could she.

Her decision to travel to Ukraine became final after the liberation of Bucha in late March 2022, when the world saw the extent of Russian atrocities. The horrific images haunted her—night after night, she dreamt of streets strewn with bodies, of a murdered woman’s hand, her nails painted bright red.

I don’t think I will ever regret spending a few years away from my children if it means trying to protect their future.

At the time, April Huggett’s youngest child was 4.5 years old, her eldest—12. Leaving behind her life, family, and career to travel to a war-torn country might seem like an impulsive decision. But for her, it was her children who became the driving force behind it. As a mother, she couldn’t stand by and watch Ukrainian children suffer. At the same time, she wanted to show her own children that helping others isn’t just necessary—it’s possible.

“I’m very lucky that my kids have a privileged life. But I also want them to understand that beyond that privilege, we can act. And I believe actions speak much louder than words or conversations about helping,” Huggett says.

For months, she hesitated. One of the biggest obstacles was her husband—now her ex—who was firmly against her decision. Eventually, he gave her an ultimatum: if she left, she shouldn’t come back. Huggett wrestled with doubt, questioning whether she’d regret leaving her family. But after months of uncertainty, she realized one thing—her biggest regret would be not going at all.

“I don’t think I will ever regret spending a few years away from my children if it means trying to protect their future. I realized that when I’m 65 or 70, I would regret not doing this,” says April.

In January 2025, April received her divorce papers. Staying in Ukraine had cost her more than just her marriage—she lost nearly all her friends in Canada, and her relationship with her mother, who shows little interest in the war, has deteriorated. She misses her children deeply and struggles to hold back tears when speaking about them. The last time they saw each other was nearly two years ago.

“My daughter follows me on social media, watches my videos,and sees what I’m doing. She tells me she’s very proud of me, and that means the world to me,”April says.

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April Huggett believes that by defending Ukraine, she is also protecting her home and her children’s future. She follows global politics closely and takes former U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about Canada potentially becoming the 51st state seriously. While an invasion of her country seems unthinkable now, she says Ukraine’s experience has shown how quickly the unimaginable can become reality. Even in the 21st century, no nation is immune to war—especially when dictators rise to power.

“World War II feels so distant that in North America, we’ve started to think we’re untouchable. But we’re not,” Huggett says. “It all starts with jokes from abroad. Then, suddenly, it turns into something much more serious.”

She sees parallels between Ukraine and Canada. For years, Russia hinted at its territorial ambitions, yet neither the world nor many Ukrainians took the threats seriously. Now, she wonders if North America is making the same mistake.

“We’re a big country with a relatively small population—about the same as Ukraine’s. And across the border is a military superpower that starts with jokes, then shifts to serious talk about whether we should become part of their country,”,she says.

Huggett admits she can’t shake the thought of what she would do if Canada were attacked. Maybe one day, she says, she will have to return home and put her battlefield experience to use.

Humanitarian aid for the Donetsk region’s locals

April Huggett left North America for the first time in late 2022 when she traveled to Ukraine. Initially, she planned to stay for just 20 days. But that changed after a visit to Bakhmut. There, in an improvised charity kitchen, she made soup for elderly residents. She recalls how one elderly woman asked where she was from. When Huggett replied, “Canada,” the woman’s eyes lit up.

“We love Canada!” she exclaimed.

Within seconds, others waiting in line joined in. Some repeated the words through tears. Huggett knew then—she wasn’t going home.

In that moment, I realized that being in these places, I wasn’t just there as myself—I was representing my entire country. When I’m there, it means Canada is with them, and that gives people hope.

That day, April Huggett knew she couldn’t leave Ukraine. She began going door to door, delivering food packages to those in need—especially to residents in areas where few dared to go. Over the next two years, she brought thousands of food supplies to people in some of the most dangerous towns and villages, including Bakhmut, Orikhiv, Zarichne, Siversk, and Kupiansk. She didn’t stop there. Huggett also evacuated hundreds of animals from these war-torn areas, often risking her own life to save them.

As a volunteer, April Huggett could only watch in pain as the Russian army advanced, leaving behind nothing but ashes in the cities she had fought so desperately to save.

“I watched as these towns, these people, disappeared,” she says. “Every time I returned, there was a new grave. Everyone I had agreed to love and care for was either dead or missing.”

Eventually, April Huggett felt trapped in a cycle—returning to the same places, doing the same work, while the need only grew. The turning point came in 2024 when a close friend was killed. The loss shook her to the core and forced her to reassess her path. She realized she could spend forever delivering food and water, rescuing animals—but that wouldn’t stop the war. It was an endless cycle, and she no longer saw a way out.

“You can pour all your time, resources, and money into this, but it will never be enough. And it will never end,” the volunteer thought at the time.

During her time in Ukraine, April Huggett built a dedicated following on social media, rallying supporters to fund her efforts. She managed to raise nearly $1 million for humanitarian aid, military equipment, and vehicles for both civilians and soldiers. But with each passing month, global interest in the war faded, and donations slowed. Seeing this, Huggett began to question how she could use resources more effectively.

If I ever want to see Siversk, Zarichne, or Bakhmut as real cities again—not under Russian occupation—we need to focus all our resources on the army.

This realization gradually led April Huggett to a decision—not just to support the military as a volunteer, but to become a part of it.

Canadian Volunteer Joins the Ukrainian Armed Forces

By training, April Huggett is a process operator-technician, though she never worked in the field. Instead, she found her passion in antiques and dedicated herself to that business. Selling “trinkets,” as she puts it, she never imagined she would one day serve in the military—or become a medic. Now, looking back, she jokes about her former career. After everything she has witnessed in Ukraine, it feels distant, almost trivial.

“I gained independence and became a strong woman, whereas before, I felt weak and had little control over my life,” she says. “In North America, I think we often just move through life on autopilot. Like most people in the world, we take care of our kids, go to work every day, and keep our aspirations within a certain frame.”

For Huggett, joining Ukraine’s Armed Forces felt like a natural progression of the path she started on the first day of the full-scale war. It began with volunteering, fundraising, and supporting soldiers. Then came the realization that she could do even more—by becoming part of the army itself.

When April Huggett decided to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces, several units she had supported as a volunteer offered her a place in their ranks. Among them was the commander of the newly formed Alcatraz Battalion of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, Kholodnyi Yar. The offer required no second thought. On December 9, 2024, she signed a contract and joined the battalion’s medical service.

Now a soldier in Alcatraz Battalion, April Huggett treats the unit as her own child—having been with it since its formation, ensuring fighters had everything from transport to uniforms and hygiene supplies. She admits the brigade maximizes every available resource, but it’s often not enough.

That’s where she sees her mission—not to singlehandedly change the course of the war, but to fill the gaps where help is needed most.

“When you start from nothing, you have nothing. Many new recruits didn’t even have basic hygiene products,” she says. “It was important to me that they had everything they needed.”

After signing her contract, she was given the call sign Babtsia—a playful nod to her nurturing nature. She embraces the nickname, knowing it makes the soldiers smile.

Now, Babtsia is learning Ukrainian through language apps and confidently leads combat medics in training drills. But she admits she still relies on translation apps—understanding more than she can say.

Here, if you have two legs, a beating heart, and the will to learn, you can do a lot.

After completing her two-month probation period—required for foreign recruits—April Huggett (call sign: Babtsia) will receive her military ID, a rifle, and the ability to take part in frontline evacuations. For now, she is learning from the battalion’s chief medic. Under his guidance, she has created a medical record system and introduced regular health screenings, including drug tests, as well as testing for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. Huggett admits she has developed a deep interest in medicine. Perhaps, she says, this is a path she will continue to follow in the future.

“I’m not sure if there’s anywhere else in the world where you can learn these things without formal education. Here, if you have two legs, a beating heart, and the will to learn, you can do a lot,” April reflects. “This experience has opened my eyes. Maybe after the war, if I have the time to study, I’ll pursue medicine more seriously.”

After the war, April Huggett dreams of settling in Cherkasy—a place where she can escape the horrors she has witnessed, find solitude, sleep, and heal. She recalls the words of a fellow soldier: Now is not the time to be lost—we have to keep ourselves together. She took his advice to heart, pushing her emotions aside. But she knows that one day, she will have to face everything she has buried.

“You lose friends and only have a few hours to grieve. Then you just have to keep moving,” says April Huggett. “But after the war… I think it will take a long time before I recover.”

I love my children and want to go home, but I know that right now, I’m a little broken. It will take time to feel like a normal person again.

Huggett’s journey—from a comfortable life in Canada to serving in one of the world’s most battle-hardened armies—has reshaped her understanding of purpose and sacrifice. She chose to be part of a fight that many in the West still see as distant and abstract. Through her actions, she reminds the world: Russian aggression is not just Ukraine’s problem—it’s a challenge to everyone.

Author: Viktoria Kalimbet
Photo: Andriy Dubchak