A 41-year-old father was killed in a drone strike after travelling to Ukraine to fight the Russians in the hope of raising money for his daughter’s autism treatment.
Tiago Rodrigues Marques was in the Donbas region when he was killed on Monday (24 August) – his birthday.
A resident of Gravataí, Brazil, he had been in Ukraine since March.
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It was the second time Tiago had travelled to take part in the conflict.
According to his wife, Marili Rodrigues, he spent 11 months in Ukraine between 2024 and 2025, when he fought with an international legion.
Marili, 40, said he returned to Ukraine in the hope of securing money for the treatment of their five-year-old daughter, who has autism spectrum disorder.
The couple were struggling to afford her treatment, and Tiago believed being paid to fight could improve their financial situation.
Marili told Brazilian media: “Tiago went there because he was looking for better conditions for his daughter’s treatment.
“They were offering a salary of BRL 50,000 (£7,130), but when he got there, he found out it was UAH 50,000 (£826).
“There was also a separate bonus of UAH 70,000 (£1,157) 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 by the Ukrainian Army itself for his most recent trip.
Marili said: “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.”
She had asked Tiago not to travel. Their daughter was going through a crucial stage of her treatment, and she did not want him to be away.
However, despite her opposition, he headed to the airport without telling anyone, as reported by Need To Know.
Marili 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.”
She recalled the last message she received from Tiago: “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.”
Marili was informed of his death on Wednesday (26 August) by Brazilian combatants who had been fighting alongside him.
His body had not been recovered at the time of the latest update.
Tiago’s money was deposited into a Ukrainian bank account that Marili cannot access.
She said: “It was a Ukrainian bank account, and we don’t have access to the money now.
“But that’s not what we’re worried about at the moment. We’re worried about how we’re going to get his body back.”
Tiago also leaves behind two stepdaughters.
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