Infantry veterans themselves, they allege that the brigade run by Hrulf — a nom-de-guerre he adopted for security reasons — is reckless, has little weaponry or protective equipment for the soldiers he recruits and no official relationship with the Ukrainian forces.
Hrulf is essentially building a “private army” with volunteers from around the world to defend the village of his Ukrainian wife and children, they charge.
“He’s endangering the lives of unsuspecting young Canadians who just want to go and see combat,” says Paul, an Ottawa-based civil servant who was the brigade second-in-command before quitting and joining Ukraine’s official International Legion. “It’s not right, it’s completely irresponsible, especially for a person claiming to be a commander.”