Ukrainian woman in Winnipeg trying to bring remains of fallen husband home
A Ukrainian woman who now lives in Winnipeg is hoping one day she will be able to bring her husband's remains to her new home, a place he hoped one day he too would be able to call home.
Hanna Sidorchenko recently learned that her husband won't be able to start a new life in Canada with her as he died fighting in Ukraine.
Her husband Andrii was a drone operator in the Ukrainian army and was recently killed in action.
He was stationed in Bakhmut, the city that has seen some of the most intense fighting since war broke out between Ukraine and Russia.
Sidorchenko said she learned on May 4 that Andrii was killed during a Russian missile strike.
"He was hit by debris of the missile along with two others," Sidorchenko said with the help of a translator in an interview with CTV News.
She said Andrii had a dream of one day making it to Canada himself, a dream Sidorchenko is still hoping to fulfill, even after he passed.
She returned to Kyiv along with Oksana Lazarenko – who has been helping her and her son – to bring home Andrii's cremated remains.
The two returned to a barrage of Russian missile strikes on the capital city and narrowly missed being hit by debris.
"Two houses next to the house I stayed were hit. One was pretty bad, it was an office building. Good thing nobody was there," said Lazarenko.
Unfortunately, their trip was not successful as Andrii's body has yet to be recovered and Hanna had to return home empty handed.
"She still hopes that she can bring him back, his ashes," said Sidorchenko through a translator.
While Sidorchenko waits for another opportunity to bring her husband's remains home, she said she is trying to start a new life for her and her son in Winnipeg.
They both want to learn English and find work.
As they get settled, the community is fundraising for the family to help give them a hand.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.