Hudson is originally from New York in the United States. In his hometown, he worked as a firefighter and has some medical experience. He knew such experience was needed in Ukraine, so he decided to come and fight on the Ukrainian side.
“Watching the news and seeing how Russia continues to bomb civilian buildings made me sick, so I thought if I can come here and do something, why not,” the publication quoted the American as saying.
When Hudson first arrived in Ukraine, he said he felt very proud and believed he had made the right decision.
Hudson had acquaintances and friends who joined the 42nd Brigade, which helped him decide where to enlist. He is now fighting in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, on the Oleksandrivka axis, targeting Russian forces trying to advance into Novopavlivka.
“In Novopavlivka, things are fairly good for us. In all the brigades we work with, the guys are very resilient. My team — reconnaissance — we are strong. We receive missions to eliminate Russian saboteurs who infiltrate behind the front line and enter our area of responsibility. Many of them end up here, but they do not stay long. We find out where they are, and then they are no longer operating,” Hudson said.
The unit he serves in is a reconnaissance-assault unit. Missions usually last about 10 days or slightly longer. Each time they are deployed to Novopavlivka, they come into contact with Russian forces. The troops remain in the operational zone until they leave the area. He said there have been no failed missions so far.
“Pulling the trigger and killing is hard. But I know the Russians would do the same to me. It is either my life or theirs. We are defending Ukraine, and they should not be here in the first place. I feel sorry for people, but if they did not want to be part of this war, they should not have been here,” Hudson added.
After the war ends, he plans to stay in Ukraine for some time to help rebuild the country.
“I love Ukraine — it is a beautiful country with wonderful people, and I love the local culture,” the serviceman said.