Quebec emergency response veteran heads back to Ukraine to help

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine passes the 200th day mark, Quebecer André Rossin-Arthiat who made the decision in March, to head into the war zone to help the family he has in Korosten, Ukraine escape, is going back to Ukraine, this time to help on the frontlines.

“They still need the help and we need the help because this conflict is far from over,” says André Rossin-Arthiat, a Quebec emergency response veteran, now part of Medical drones for Ukraine.

“We’re losing about 200 to 250 people a day, Ukrainians, whether it be civilian or military,”

The last time CityNews spoke to Rossin-Arthiat in March he was in Poland, in the interview, he was using a flashlight as his only source of light. Now he says, he’ll be in Ukraine, when he goes back at the end of the month. A decision he says was an easy one to make.

“My wife is Ukrainian and I extracted my in-law families out of Ukraine, so I need to be there for them,” says Rossin-Arthiat.

Leaving Quebec on March 7, he was able to get some of his family members to safety in Poland including his mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and her two sons, but his nephew, father-in-law, and sister-in-law’s husband were forced to remain in the country, due to the declaration of martial law that bans men aged 18 to 60 from leaving Ukraine.

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While he will be helping where he can, in humanitarian efforts, for the four to six weeks he is there, his main goal is to help the army and emergency response units, with operational missions using drones.

“By integrating the drone technology will be losing less people in the field, whether it be emergency response personnel, medical personnel or army personnel,” he says.

Rossin-Arthiat says his work with Medical drones for Ukraine will help in search and rescue, as well as in the army efforts. He intends on heading back every two to three months, to help where he can.

The goal, he says, is “ saving lives of Ukrainians in the field,” he adds.