Estonian volunteer serving in Ukraine killed by Russian drone strike

An Estonian man who was volunteering with the International Legion has tragically lost his life in Eastern Ukraine. This sad news has been reported by the daily newspaper Postimees (link in Estonian).

According to Postimees, the victim, Tanel Kriggul, known by his call-sign "Stinger," was killed in a Russian drone strike near the city of Lyman in Donetsk oblast. This information was confirmed by three sources who are also part of the same unit. The strike occurred while he was staying in a house, which was hit by the drone. This incident marks the second time that an Estonian citizen has lost their life in the conflict in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation began in February 2022.

The International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine was established by the Ukrainian government in February 2022 in response to the invasion. Earlier this year, in March, another Estonian, Ivo Jurak, who had previously served in the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), and was also a member of the international legion, lost his life in action near Bakhmut, Donetsk oblast.