Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17866855988881786685597479.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"></span></span></span></div><p>Firefighters extinguish a blaze in damaged private houses following Russian strike in Kyiv region on May 25, 2025, amid Russian invasion in Ukraine. Sergei Supinsky, AFP/File</p><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said it was verifying a report that a Filipino was killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war in Ukraine.</p><p>“The AFP has taken note of the report. At this time, we have yet to establish confirmation or validation of the information,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said in a message to ABS-CBN News.</p><p>Padilla said the military has yet to confirm the identity of the reported Filipino fighter and the circumstances surrounding the reported incident.</p><p>“Until such verification is completed, it would be premature for the AFP to make definitive statements regarding the circumstances surrounding the reported incident,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/7/19/russia-pounds-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles-in-escalating-air-war-2206">Russia pounds Kyiv with ballistic missiles in escalating air war</a></div><p>The statement came following a report by RBC-Ukraine, a major independent Ukrainian news agency, that Kyiv’s intelligence agency disclosed that a Filipino had been killed while fighting for the Russian military in the Donetsk region.</p><p>The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine identified the reported fighter as a 37-year-old from Metro Manila. </p><p>According to the report, the fighter secured a Russian visa in January this year and traveled to Russia in April. He allegedly signed a contract with the Russian armed forces on May 3.</p><p>The Ukrainian intelligence agency claimed that the Filipino underwent around a week of military training before being deployed to the frontline.</p><p>It said he was killed in late May during an assault near Katerynivka in the Donetsk region.</p><p>The Philippine government previously warned Filipinos against participating as mercenaries or joining foreign armed conflicts.</p><p>Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has since killed and displaced thousands of people, and drawn foreign fighters and volunteers to both sides of the conflict.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/12/dmw-temporarily-restricts-deployment-of-filipino-seafarers-to-northern-black-sea-2320">DMW temporarily restricts deployment of Filipino seafarers to Northern Black Sea</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/7/21/ukraine-extends-condolences-for-filipinos-killed-in-russian-attack-on-ships-1458">Ukraine extends condolences for Filipinos killed in Russian attack on ships</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/7/9/trump-says-us-will-give-patriot-missile-license-to-ukraine-0848">Trump says US will give Patriot missile license to Ukraine</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mMcpvNj9Mss?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9fe1i9w-CIs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-VU_3ctr8KM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said it was verifying a report that a Filipino was killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war in Ukraine.</p>

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said it was verifying a report that a Filipino was killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

AFP verifying report of Filipino killed fighting for Russian forces

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AFP verifying report of Filipino killed fighting for Russian forces

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 14, 2026 01:36 PM PHT

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Filipino fighter

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Ukraine

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