TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A memorial service for the Taiwanese volunteer soldier who fought alongside Ukrainian troops, Tseng Sheng-guang (曾聖光), was held at the Church of the Holy Peter and Paul in Lviv, Ukraine, on Monday (Nov. 14) at 2:00 p.m.
In addition to his mother, sister, and wife, hundreds of Ukrainians also attended the service to express gratitude to the Tseng family. Tseng is the first Taiwanese soldier to die in combat in Ukraine.
The Carpathian Sich Volunteer Battalion Facebook page wrote in a post that he joined its rifle battalion on June 19, 2022, and was “a disciplined, balanced, courageous warrior.”
Upon learning of his death, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) quickly contacted relevant Ukrainian authorities through various channels to ensure Tseng’s body would be properly laid to rest, it said in a press release. The ministry also fast-tracked passports and travel documents, transportation, and other logistics for Tseng’s family members to make it to Ukraine in time for his memorial service.
In an Instagram post, MOFA extended its condolences to the Tseng family, praising Tseng for giving his life “to Ukraine’s fight for freedom.” “We salute this young Taiwanese volunteer’s sacrifice for the cause of liberty.”
Tseng’s “warrior spirit will always live on wherever people stand up for justice and integrity,” MOFA added. It pledged to continue assisting the Tseng family and prayed his soul is at rest.
According to an earlier report, Tseng was killed in action after being hit by an exploding projectile during a battle with the Russian army in Luhansk Oblast. Tseng was quoted by the Carpathian Sich Volunteer Battalion Facebook page as saying he was fighting “on the side of light, for Ukraine and its people."
