Third volunteer soldier from Estonia killed in Ukraine

Martini Jääger in the positions of his unit in the Kharkiv region a week before his death. Photo: Erakogu

A third soldier from Estonia who had voluntarily gone to fight in Ukraine after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion was killed in action on Friday.

Martin Jääger, 42, was killed in a battle on the border of the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, near the village of Raihorodka. He belonged to the Ukrainian Army's famous 3rd Assault Brigade, which takes part in fierce defensive battles east of the city of Borova.

Jääger served for more than ten years in the all-professional Scouts Battalion of the Estonian defense forces. In 2013, he served in the international operation in Afghanistan as part of ESTCOY-13.

Jääger went to fight in Ukraine a year ago, and subsequently took part in combat in the composition of various units. He joined the 3rd Assault Brigade only a month ago.

The two Estonian volunteers previously killed in Ukraine are former Estonian military officer Ivo Jurak, who was killed in artillery fire by Russian forces near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region in March last year. In September of last year, Estonian Tanel Kriggul was killed in a drone attack near the town of Lyman in the same region of Ukraine, public broadcaster ERR has reported.