Slovak volunteer Rastislav Gajdošík has likely been killed in action on Ukrainian front lines, Denník N reported.
Currently, the 40-year-old volunteer from Bratislava, with the callsign Rusty, is officially considered missing. He served as a platoon commander in the International Legion within the Ukrainian Army.
Russian Telegram channels wrote that he allegedly died near Staromaiorske in Donetsk Oblast on 17 June, a date also mentioned by his comrades. Staromaiorske, which had been under occupation since the early days of the all-out war, was liberated in July 2023 and partially reoccupied by Russian forces in mid-June.
At the time of his disappearance, Gajdošík was in an area currently controlled by the Russians, making it impossible to determine his fate or retrieve his body. Friends have already placed a Slovak flag with his name among the thousands of flags in Maidan Square in Kyiv to honor him as a fallen hero, as per European Pravda.
Meanwhile, the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they have no information on his fate.
Rastislav Gajdošík came to Ukraine to fight as a volunteer in 2022. In his interviews, he explained his motivation by understanding that if Ukraine were defeated, Russia might attack Poland, Slovakia, or the Baltic states.
Read more:
- Polish volunteer who fought for “Ukraine’s freedom and Poland’s security” killed by Russian missile
- Lithuanian volunteer dies after being wounded in Bakhmut
- The first Estonian volunteer fighter died in Ukraine near Bakhmut — media
- “It’s a holy war”: British medic sees Ukraine’s battle against “pure evil”
