OTTAWA — A grieving New Brunswick father has launched an organization to support the families of foreigners who have disappeared, died or been captured while fighting in Ukraine’s foreign legion.

Marc Mazerolle says his son Patrick was killed fighting as a military volunteer in Ukraine last September, and he has struggled to get basic information or to make progress in getting his son’s remains to Canada.

Mazerolle says families from around the world are grappling with navigating complex systems in Ukraine to get information about their relatives or to confirm a death by providing a DNA sample.

He is in touch with about 20 families, including four in Canada, who have relatives who have either been reported as missing in action or taken prisoner of war by Russia.

His group is called the International League of POW/MIA Families of the War in Ukraine, and he believes it can help thousands of people of different nationalities.

Mazerolle says he would like countries like Canada to provide funding and expertise to Ukraine so the country can help the family of foreign volunteers while focusing on fighting off Russia’s invasion.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press