Don't come fight for Ukraine unless you're already trained, foreign legion says

Foreign fighters heading to Ukraine's front lines Damien Magrou, with the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine, says people volunteering to fight need combat experience.

For Canadians looking to help in Ukraine, sending donations of money and essential supplies is likely more attainable than volunteering to fight on the front lines.

The Ukrainian government estimates at least 20,000 foreigners have joined The International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine (ILDU), a foreign legion established in late February shortly after Russia's invasion began.

ILDU spokesperson Damien Magrou told CTV News Channel on Saturday the legion has attracted volunteers from over 50 nations and includes "quite a lot of Canadians of Ukrainian descent."

Anyone volunteering, however, needs prior combat experience, he said.

"Right now we're looking for people exclusively with live combat experience. We've had unfortunately quite a lot of people coming through to Ukraine and being turned away because they don't have this experience."

Magrou said combat units are being sent to the front line "as soon as we can", and their members aren't being trained first beyond "top-up training" meant to get them familiar with Ukrainian equipment.

"We don't do that much training at this stage," he said. "This is one of the reasons we're looking for already experienced fighters that know their way around a battlefield."

While the Canadian government is discouraging citizens from travelling to Ukraine given the "security situation," it doesn't prohibit fighting alongside that country's armed forces.

Defence Minister Anita Anand told CTV's Question Period last week "it is an individual decision" if people want to go and fight.

Ukrainian-Canadian Oleh Hylniailiuk is among those who've volunteered to fight in Ukraine.

Hylniailiuk doesn't have combat experience and said he's on a waiting list to be called up if needed.

"Because I don't have this training or combat experience, I am in the fourth wave of callings," he told CTV News Channelon Saturday. "If our country needs more soldiers, they will organize the third and fourth waves of callings and I will get in this way."

In the meantime, he said he's volunteering his time in Kyiv in other ways, includingby helping source and fund equipment for fighters.

"I'm working on this right now, basically to provide Ukrainian soldiers with necessary protective equipment," Hylniailiuk said.

Humanitarian groups also need help, and Magrou said anyone who has arrived in Ukraine or is planning to and who doesn't have combat experience could volunteer their time there.

"There's a number of humanitarian organizations working really hard in evacuating people and getting refugees out safely," he said.

With files from Michael Lee