A dad-of-two that could "never settle" in civilian jobs after leaving the army was blasted by a Russian landmine while fighting in Ukraine.
James Smith, 33, from Eastham in Wirral, stepped on a Russian landmine while in the South of Ukraine on Sunday, June 18. There was a Russian defensive line and James' team worked to clear a number of landmines before being dropped 20 meters away from Russian trenches.
James, who is a paid part of the Ukrainian Army, said he ran to a wooded area for cover where he accidently stepped on a landmine and was blasted. He was taken to hospital where he underwent a number of operations including one where he lost a toe on his left foot and had a metal rod placed in his foot.
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He's also had shrapnel surgically removed from his left and right legs and is receiving antibiotics and pain killers through a PIC line. He's now been moved to another hospital in Kiev and is making plans to come back to his family home in Wirral to recover.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office continues to advise British nationals against all travel to Ukraine. This is because the risks are too high.
When asked by The ECHO why he decided to go over to Ukraine, James said: "For me it just seemed like a big form of bullying, there was no reason for Russia to invade Ukraine. They said they needed people with my exact skill set to help save lives so I went.
"Six days after the war started I was on the frontline in Ukraine."
James had previously done two tours of Afghanistan before leaving the British Army when his two children started school. James' Mum, Jo Farnley, 56, said her son was one of the first soldiers from the UK to volunteer in Ukraine.
She told The ECHO: "He has a military background, from 16 he went to Army Foundation College and by 18 he was in the Army. We paid for him to go on a plastering course and he was doing scaffolding but he could never settle.
"He was just itching to be elsewhere because that's what he has been trained to do. I thought he was going to join the British Army again, I never in a million years expected he would go over to Ukraine. I was quite shocked."
James is now trying to raise funds through a JustGiving page to help him fly back home, pay medical expenses for prosthetics, and recover. The total currently stands at £1,127 with 35 donations.
He said: "I was one of the first soldiers to go to the war and I still don't regret a thing. I'm asking for a little bit of money to try help me readjust at home.
"I don't have a sob story, I'm in good sprits. I still think whatever the negatives of this will be it will never change my mind, I made the right choice coming.
"I feel really overwhelmed by the money I've received so far, I've had old friends from school messaging me to say how proud they are of me."
To donate to James' fundraising page click here.
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