Wang Guangjun, one of two Chinese fighters captured by Ukrainian forces in early April 2025. [SBU/SSU]

Chinese fighters take up positions alongside Russians in Ukraine

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Ukrainian intelligence documents indicate at least 163 Chinese nationals have been fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there are likely more.

The Kyiv Independent newspaper reviewed two documents, including one with photos, passport details and other information on 155 Chinese fighters. Another document detailed 13 Chinese recruits selected for service in the Russian army as of April 2, 2025.

U.S. intelligence sources told Reuters the fighters are mercenaries who don’t appear to have a direct link to China’s government. Beijing has always denied any direct Chinese involvement in the war since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

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Aviation Nation: How Canadians Contributed to Flight and Space Around the World is a new children’s book from the RCAF Foundation. [RCAF Foundation]

RCAF Foundation launches children’s book on aviation

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

“It seems like in the environment we’re in currently,” says the RCAF Foundation’s founding CEO, Jeremy Diamond, “it is even more important to make sure that we understand our stories, our background, our origins, and be proud of what we’ve done, while equally providing a space to be critical and introspective about some of the things we’ve done and achieved throughout our shared history as a nation.”

This is exactly what the RCAF Foundation itself strives for, established in 2021 to “recognize, foster and celebrate the Royal Canadian Air Force through community engagement, education programs and commemorative activities.” It began with a focus on marking the air force’s centenary in 2024. Nevertheless, Diamond’s hopes for the organization stretch well into the future.

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An armchair tour of HMCS Haida with Jared Shawcross

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Speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s health is only surpassed by theories surrounding the nature of his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. [TASS]

Long-standing rumours of Putin’s impending death have been greatly exaggerated

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared in Paris on March 27, 2025, and boldly predicted the demise of his avowed enemy, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“He will die soon, and that’s a fact, and it will come to end,” declared the man whose leadership through one of history’s more improbable military campaigns has been compared to Winston Churchill’s during the Battle of Britain.

Zelenskyy, who has been targeted by Russian assassins since Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, apparently didn’t expand on the statement. How he expects Putin to die, by poor health or some other means, wasn’t clear. Putin has survived at least a half-dozen assassination attempts and a raft of rumoured health issues spanning more than two decades.

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Jared Shawcross (second from right), with colleagues, is acting interpretation officer for HMCS Haida National Historic Site. [Parks Canada]

An armchair tour of HMCS Haida with Jared Shawcross

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

Dubbed Canada’s “fightingest ship,” HMCS Haida is the last Tribal-class destroyer found anywhere around the globe. Twenty-seven of its kind were constructed during the Second World War and they served with distinction. That service continued into the Korean War and broader Cold War.

Today, however, Haida’s primary purpose is for posterity, having been transformed into a national historic site in Hamilton Harbour, Ont., where it has inspired visitors since 2004. The museum ship’s acting interpretation officer, Jared Shawcross, spoke to Legion Magazine about the history, legacy, and his own deep admiration of HMCS Haida.

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