Estonian volunteer killed by a Russian drone in Ukraine

Tanel Kriggul, an Estonian citizen and Scout Battalion corporal who fought against the Russian invasion as a soldier of the Ukrainian Army was killed in a Russian drone attack near Lyman in the Donetsk Oblast (eastern Ukraine), according to the Estonian Embassy in Ukraine. Tanel Kriggul, 29, was a member of the International Legion of Ukraine's Armed Forces. He fought against Russian invaders in the Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts in eastern Ukraine and took part in the battle of Bakhmut in the spring of 2023. Kriggul joined the Scout Battalion in 2017 and served in a mortar platoon. He participated in the military operations of the allied forces in Afghanistan twice. In December 2022, Kriggul left the Estonian Army and went to Ukraine as a volunteer. Kriggul's comrades described him as "a very strong fighter with advanced professional skills."

"Kriggul's comrades-in-arms will always remember him as an outstanding soldier, and a true friend. Tanel Kriggul knew well how dangerous the war was, but he did not hesitate to go," the Estonian Embassy wrote on Facebook.

Tanel Kriggul is the second Estonian volunteer killed during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The first was Captain Ivo Jurak, who died in the battles for Bakhmut on 7 March 2023. Related:

• Frontline report: Ukrainians obliterate Russia's flank mechanized counterattack near Zaporizhzhia's Robotyne
• General Staff: Russian forces counterattack on southern and eastern fronts
• American volunteer Andrew Peters was killed in action; he became the 7th American killed in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion