Rudolf Wittman, the first and only foreign soldier accepted into the Ukrainian Special Forces

The Association Aradul Civic and the Ukrainian community in Arad municipality have initiated the placement of two commemorative panels in memory of the young Rudolf Wittman, aged 27, originally from Arad, who chose to fight in Ukraine and was killed on the front on October 22. The City Council unanimously approved the placement of these billboards in two significant locations in the city center.

The billboards will be placed by the Association Aradul Civic and will be installed in Eminescu Park and Avram Iancu Square. Each billboard will have three sides with messages in Romanian, Ukrainian and Hungarian, thus covering the cultural diversity of the community. The placement of the billboards is part of a protocol to be concluded between the Aradul Civic Association and Arad City Hall, Agerpres reports. 

Rudolf Wittman, the first and only foreign soldier accepted into the Ukrainian Special Forces, was born on 4 October 1996 in Arad. The commemorative panels will contain details of the young man's life and will recall his courage and sacrifice for the ideals of Ukrainian freedom.

Those close to Wittman stressed that he voluntarily left for Ukraine, determined to act against injustice. Before the war in Ukraine, Wittman was a member of the French Foreign Legion, and after seeing the russian invasion, he decided to join the fight for Ukrainian independence.

The commemorative panels will remain in the public space until at least July 1, with the possibility of extension, according to the draft approved by the City Council. The young man's family wants the panels to be a living reminder in the city of Ukraine's time of war.