A 41-year-old Brazilian father has died after being killed in a drone attack while serving in Ukraine, where he had travelled in search of better financial opportunities to support his young daughter’s treatment.Get the latest updates on our WhatsApp channel.
The man, identified as Tiago Rodrigues Marques, was killed on August 24, which was also his 41st birthday. At the time of his death, he was reportedly trying to earn money to help pay for the treatment of his five-year-old daughter, who has autism spectrum disorder.
According to his wife, Marili Rodrigues, Tiago had previously spent 11 months in Ukraine between 2024 and 2025, where he fought with an international legion.
After returning home, he later decided to travel back to Ukraine in the hope of earning enough money to support his daughter’s medical needs.
Marili said Tiago had been offered what he believed was a salary of BRL 50,000. However, after arriving in Ukraine, he discovered that the amount was actually UAH 50,000, which was worth around £826, with an additional UAH 70,000 reportedly offered as a bonus for each mission.
Speaking to local media, Marili said: “Tiago went there because he was looking for better conditions for his daughter’s treatment.
“They were offering a salary of BRL 50,000 but when he got there, he found out it was UAH 50,000 (£826).
“There was also a separate bonus of UAH 70,000 for each mission.
“He was supposed to receive the money in his account on Monday, but by then he was already dead.”
Tiago was reportedly recruited directly by the Ukrainian Army for his latest trip.
His wife said he had been assured that his latest deployment would be different from his previous experience with mercenaries and that he would receive the necessary guarantees.
She added: “When he returned to Ukraine, he was promised it wouldn’t be like it was for the mercenaries – that things would be different and they would have all the necessary guarantees.”
Marili revealed that she had pleaded with her husband not to return to Ukraine, but he kept the trip secret because he knew his family would not support his decision.
She said: “He didn’t even tell us. He left the house as usual, saying he was going to work, got on the flight and went.
“He kept the trip secret even from his family because he knew we wouldn’t have accepted him going.”
The last communication between the couple came at around 4:30 a.m. Brasília time when Tiago informed her that they were under attack.
“It was 4.30 am (Brasília time) when he told me they were under attack.
“He said he was going to find somewhere safe and would let me know if anything happened. He never answered his phone again.”
Two days later, on August 26, Marili was informed of her husband’s death by Brazilian combatants who had been fighting alongside him.
At the time of the latest update, Tiago’s body had not yet been recovered.