A Brampton man who was killed while fighting for Ukraine in its war against Russia has been posthumously honoured for his sacrifice.
Mandeep Singh, 30, a former part-time soldier in Canada, volunteered to join Ukrainian combat forces in January 2024 and was killed in action in October the same year. In December, he was awarded the Ukrainian Canadian Sacrifice Medal in recognition of his service.
According to a report by the Kyiv Post, Singh had no personal ties to Ukraine but felt compelled to act after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“Mandeep answered an urgent call for help and made the ultimate sacrifice so the Ukrainian people could live in freedom,” wrote Oleh Nikolenko, Ukraine’s consul general, in a Facebook post.
Figures from Global Affairs Canada indicate that 26 Canadians are believed to have died in the conflict, with 14 receiving the Ukrainian Canadian Sacrifice Medal.
Singh’s family immigrated to Canada from India in 2004 and settled in Brampton. His mother, Asha Kaur Singh, told the Kyiv Post that her son adapted quickly to life in Canada and later joined the Canadian military, inspired by its discipline and proud to serve in uniform.
She said Singh was motivated to help Ukrainians by the Sikh principle of sewa — selfless service to humanity without expectation of reward.
“He told us there was a desperate need for help in Ukraine,” she said. “Elderly people are fighting, and he was young enough to contribute and remained firm in his decision.”
Singh’s sacrifice has been widely acknowledged within the Ukrainian Canadian community, including by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which shared his story as part of its efforts to honour Canadians who lost their lives in the conflict.