New Brunswick man injured in Ukraine says there was no warning of attack on base

A New Brunswick man who was injured when a military base near Ukraine's western border was struck by Russian missiles on Sunday says there was no warning of the attack.

Hunter Francis of the Eel Ground First Nation in northeast New Brunswick says there were no air raid sirens before the missiles hit.

In text messages to The Canadian Press, Francis said the missiles struck a supply depot first, then the barracks where he was located.

The former Canadian Forces member, who arrived in Ukraine last week to volunteer in the defence against Russia, said the bombardment lasted about 30 minutes and left him with shards of glass and metal in his right hand and his nose.

To come back to Canada

Francis is now in an unidentified country bordering Ukraine, and efforts are underway to get him back to Canada.

Ukrainian officials said at least 35 people were killed in the attack and 134 wounded.

On Tuesday, Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv while thousands of civilians fled Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor in what was believed to be the biggest evacuation yet from the desperately besieged seaport. On the diplomatic front, another round of talks began between Russia and Ukraine.

Also on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Canada for its support in his address to the House of Commons but said much more needs to be done, including additional sanctions and a no-fly zone.