A memorial service has been held in Taipei for a Taiwanese volunteer who died fighting on the front lines in Ukraine. Wu Chung-ta is the second volunteer from Taiwan to lose his life fighting for Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022.
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00:00Here at this church in Taipei, a memorial has been held for a Taiwanese volunteer soldier
00:07who died while fighting Russian forces in Ukraine.
00:1044-year-old Wu Zhongda was a retired veteran of Taiwan's Army Special Forces Command.
00:15Another Taiwanese volunteer who served with him told local media he died during a heavy
00:20shelling by Russia.
00:22At least 40 people have shown up to mourn his death.
00:25They lined up one by one to place flowers under a photo of Wu.
00:29And those who knew Wu shared memories of him, and also told of why he chose to go to Ukraine.
00:50People here told us this was Wu's second time in Ukraine.
00:53Nancy Shi, who spent time volunteering for war efforts in Ukraine and supported Wu on
00:58his mission there, remembers one of her last interactions with him.
01:02When we were lining up to buy bubble tea, I took a photo of Wu.
01:06I said, I'm at the bubble tea shop.
01:09Ada said, I'll buy you a drink.
01:11I said, OK, Ada will be back soon.
01:13Let's go get something to eat.
01:16Ada, this is bubble tea.
01:18I went to help Wu the day before yesterday.
01:21And I want to buy you a drink.
01:23I know you can't drink it.
01:25I'll help you with this one.
01:26Shi says one of Wu's teammates called her to tell her about his death.
01:31He told her Wu had been hit by a bomb.
01:33But they were under such strong attack, the team had to leave.
01:49Around 40 people showed up to this church to mourn his death.
01:53Wu is the second Taiwanese soldier known to have died fighting in Ukraine.
01:57In 2022, a 25-year-old soldier named Zheng Shengguang was killed in battle.
02:03Ukraine's fight against Russia has resonated with many in Taiwan,
02:06as the country faces its own existential threat from an authoritarian neighbor.
02:11China claims Taiwan and has threatened to take it by force if necessary.
02:15A small number of Taiwanese people have gone to Ukraine to fight,
02:19though it's not known exactly how many.
02:21Now people gather here to honor one of the fallen and
02:24what they say was his fight for freedom.
02:27Joseph Wu and Keynes Coranta for Taiwan Plus.