Joseph Hildebrand, a Canadian military veteran who had served two tours in Afghanistan, has died while fighting in Ukraine.

The Saskatchewan farmer’s family says the 33-year-old Hildebrand and 11 others in the military unit; some Ukrainian, some from South America and elsewhere, were killed during combat over the weekend near the eastern city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

Hildebrand’s older brother, Jake, says most of the 12 men were killed.

He says his brother never talked much about Ukraine; they have no ethnic nor family ties there, but decided he wanted to help and left in June.