On this episode of In Focus with Melanie Risdon, Canadian-born Sam Sutherland discusses his decision to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and shared about some of what he has seen so far on the frontlines in Ukraine. .Sutherland — a husband and father of three — was born in Miramichi, NB, and joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) from 2004 to 2008 when he served as an armoured soldier with the Armour Corps. as a driver and surveillance operator. He did not have any deployments while with the CAF. .Tune in to the Western Standard on Tuesday, October 11 @ 7 p.m. MDT for In Focus with Melanie Risdon and catch the full interview..After his time with the CAF, Sutherland said he moved on to the trucking industry in Ontario, hauling local freight. Eventually he moved to Lethbridge, AB, in 2020 to haul cattle. .Sutherland, although not Ukrainian, said when the Russians invaded Ukraine, he decided to quit trucking and head overseas to "actually do something good for the world for once," he said. .He said the Bucha massacre, where it was reported hundreds of civilians were abused, tortured, and killed by Russian forces in the small Ukrainian city, was what prompted him to head overseas to help. . Sam Sutherland in Ukraine ."I heard other Canadians are over there; I said I've got to do something," Sutherland said. .Evidence of the massacre emerged on April 1, 2022, after the Russian forces had withdrawn from the city. .Reports from local authorities said 458 bodies were recovered from the town, including nine under the age of 18. It was reported many were found with their hands bound behind their backs with gun wounds indicating they were shot at point-blank range. It was also reported that a torture chamber was located in a basement beneath a campground where bodies were found mutilated and burnt. .Despite Russian authorities denying the accounts and claiming Ukraine had fabricated the atrocities with fake footage and photographs, eye-witness accounts from residents of Bucha said the killings happened at the hands of the Russians. .Sutherland said within weeks of landing, he had to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and ended up on the frontlines near the city of Izyum in eastern Ukraine, "now totally destroyed by all the shelling and airstrikes," he said. . Canadian Ukranian Logistics Division .Izyum is approximately 120 km southeast of the oblast capital, Kharkiv, and has a population of nearly 46,000. .He provided a video of shelling he and his team took around mid-August. . Shelling Sutherland and his team took in mid-August near Izyum, a city in eastern Ukraine .Sutherland said he and his team "started taking rounds" and moved into a nearby bunker for cover. Within minutes, they were "hit by a 152 mm from a self-propelled gun" that struck about 20 meters from the bunker — the same location he and his team were sitting in just 10 minutes earlier. ."One guy was injured by that blast," said Sutherland. "And a drone was over us the whole time." .In need of a break, Sutherland returned home in September. He plans to head back to Ukraine by the end of October. Before he leaves, Sutherland said he hopes to raise some money locally to help him purchase much needed items for himself and his team, as most of the equipment provided is not very good quality. .Sutherland said he has set up a GiveSendGo fundraiser to help fund the purchase of needed items for his return to Ukraine. .He is looking to purchase several items for his team, including winter clothing, protective armour plates, helmets, ear pros, night-vision goggles, individual first aid kits, and ruck sacks — large heavy-duty backpacks that can carry clothing, food, sleeping bags, and other essentials. . Same Sutherland with his team in Ukraine .Since the interview was taped with the Western Standard last week, there have been several new developments in the war. .Following a Saturday bombing by Ukrainian forces of the only bridge over the Kerch Strait to the Crimea peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin called it "an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure" and retaliated on Monday with a barrage of missile strikes on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and other major cities, according to Al Jazeera.. Kerch Strait Bridge bombingThe 12-mile Kerch Strait Bridge is considered the most important supply line for the Russian forces fighting in southern Ukraine. At least three people were killed in that bombing, according to Russian authorities. .Ukrainian military reports said Russia launched 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones, striking 14 areas of the country. At least 14 people are said to have been killed with dozens wounded by the missile attacks in Ukraine. .The 12-mile Kerch Strait Bridge is considered the most important supply line for the Russian forces fighting in southern Ukraine. At least three people were killed in that bombing, according to Russian authorities.
On this episode of In Focus with Melanie Risdon, Canadian-born Sam Sutherland discusses his decision to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and shared about some of what he has seen so far on the frontlines in Ukraine. .Sutherland — a husband and father of three — was born in Miramichi, NB, and joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) from 2004 to 2008 when he served as an armoured soldier with the Armour Corps. as a driver and surveillance operator. He did not have any deployments while with the CAF. .Tune in to the Western Standard on Tuesday, October 11 @ 7 p.m. MDT for In Focus with Melanie Risdon and catch the full interview..After his time with the CAF, Sutherland said he moved on to the trucking industry in Ontario, hauling local freight. Eventually he moved to Lethbridge, AB, in 2020 to haul cattle. .Sutherland, although not Ukrainian, said when the Russians invaded Ukraine, he decided to quit trucking and head overseas to "actually do something good for the world for once," he said. .He said the Bucha massacre, where it was reported hundreds of civilians were abused, tortured, and killed by Russian forces in the small Ukrainian city, was what prompted him to head overseas to help. . Sam Sutherland in Ukraine ."I heard other Canadians are over there; I said I've got to do something," Sutherland said. .Evidence of the massacre emerged on April 1, 2022, after the Russian forces had withdrawn from the city. .Reports from local authorities said 458 bodies were recovered from the town, including nine under the age of 18. It was reported many were found with their hands bound behind their backs with gun wounds indicating they were shot at point-blank range. It was also reported that a torture chamber was located in a basement beneath a campground where bodies were found mutilated and burnt. .Despite Russian authorities denying the accounts and claiming Ukraine had fabricated the atrocities with fake footage and photographs, eye-witness accounts from residents of Bucha said the killings happened at the hands of the Russians. .Sutherland said within weeks of landing, he had to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and ended up on the frontlines near the city of Izyum in eastern Ukraine, "now totally destroyed by all the shelling and airstrikes," he said. . Canadian Ukranian Logistics Division .Izyum is approximately 120 km southeast of the oblast capital, Kharkiv, and has a population of nearly 46,000. .He provided a video of shelling he and his team took around mid-August. . Shelling Sutherland and his team took in mid-August near Izyum, a city in eastern Ukraine .Sutherland said he and his team "started taking rounds" and moved into a nearby bunker for cover. Within minutes, they were "hit by a 152 mm from a self-propelled gun" that struck about 20 meters from the bunker — the same location he and his team were sitting in just 10 minutes earlier. ."One guy was injured by that blast," said Sutherland. "And a drone was over us the whole time." .In need of a break, Sutherland returned home in September. He plans to head back to Ukraine by the end of October. Before he leaves, Sutherland said he hopes to raise some money locally to help him purchase much needed items for himself and his team, as most of the equipment provided is not very good quality. .Sutherland said he has set up a GiveSendGo fundraiser to help fund the purchase of needed items for his return to Ukraine. .He is looking to purchase several items for his team, including winter clothing, protective armour plates, helmets, ear pros, night-vision goggles, individual first aid kits, and ruck sacks — large heavy-duty backpacks that can carry clothing, food, sleeping bags, and other essentials. . Same Sutherland with his team in Ukraine .Since the interview was taped with the Western Standard last week, there have been several new developments in the war. .Following a Saturday bombing by Ukrainian forces of the only bridge over the Kerch Strait to the Crimea peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin called it "an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure" and retaliated on Monday with a barrage of missile strikes on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and other major cities, according to Al Jazeera.. Kerch Strait Bridge bombingThe 12-mile Kerch Strait Bridge is considered the most important supply line for the Russian forces fighting in southern Ukraine. At least three people were killed in that bombing, according to Russian authorities. .Ukrainian military reports said Russia launched 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones, striking 14 areas of the country. At least 14 people are said to have been killed with dozens wounded by the missile attacks in Ukraine. .The 12-mile Kerch Strait Bridge is considered the most important supply line for the Russian forces fighting in southern Ukraine. At least three people were killed in that bombing, according to Russian authorities.
