Su Yu-jou (蘇雨柔), the mother of a Taiwanese soldier killed in Ukraine, described her journey of revisiting the war-torn nation and finding peace with her son’s death in an interview on Monday.
According to Su, she recently returned to Ukraine to handle details regarding condolence payment and to visit locals affected by the war after getting an invite from local volunteers.
"Although painful, I have finally gathered the courage to come back," she said.
Photo: CNA
Su’s first time in Ukraine was to attend her son Tseng Sheng-guang’s (曾聖光) funeral in Lviv on Nov. 15, 2022.
After Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, Tseng left his hometown of Hualien to join the country’s International Legion in June of that same year.
However, he was killed by Russian artillery in Lugansk, Ukraine, on Nov. 2, 2022, aged 25, becoming the first Taiwanese fatality in the conflict.
For over two years after Tseng’s death, Su said she was emotionally traumatized to the point where she would tell her family to turn off the television if Ukraine was on the news.
She also got three tattoos of her son to feel as if he was still with her every day, she said.
She said she found her peace when visiting the Lychakiv Cemetery, where other mothers and wives gather to mourn their loved ones lost in wars throughout Ukraine’s history.
Furthermore, she greeted amputated veterans on the street and talked with an old lady evacuated from Kherson, who has two sons-in-law fighting at the frontlines.
"Although we don’t know each other, we are all family here, since our children all sacrificed for Ukraine," she said.
After Tseng, several Taiwanese have joined Ukrainian forces to fight against Russia, including Wu Chung-ta (吳忠達), who also died in combat in 2024.
While she understands their quest for "justice," the thought of young people falling in the conflict still pains her, said Su.
Wearing Ukrainian traditional clothing, she said she considers her son Ukrainian as well, since he already gave up his life for the country.
"If there’s a chance, I’ll visit Ukraine again," she said.
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