A man has become the eighth British national to die in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion. The identity of the individual, who the BBC reported was a man, is not yet known but the Foreign Office said their family has been informed.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Ukraine, and are in contact with the local authorities”. The UK Government continues to advise against all travel to Ukraine, amid the ongoing invasion.
Since the war began in February last year, numerous individuals have travelled from the UK – with some taking part in fighting against Russian forces while others engage in volunteering and aid work. The man is believed to be the eighth British national to have died in Ukraine since the war began.
In January, British nationals Andrew Bagshaw and Christopher Parry were killed in eastern Ukraine while attempting a “humanitarian evacuation”. Simon Lingard was killed in Ukraine last November, while in June ex-British soldier Jordan Gatley was shot dead in the city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine.
Scott Sibley, from Lincolnshire, died in southern Ukraine in April after a drone dropped mortars on his regiment. Craig Mackintosh, from Norfolk, was killed while volunteering as a medic in Ukraine in August. Paul Urey, a British aid worker, died last July while being detained by Russian-backed separatists.
The latest death comes after British military chiefs declared Vladimir Putin’s troops have been commanded to advance in “most sectors” but are struggling to achieve a major breakthrough on the Ukrainian front line. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday that the Russians have “not massed sufficient offensive combat power” on any one axis to “achieve a decisive effect”.
Ukraine will be top of the agenda as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace joins his counterparts for a Nato meeting in Brussels. The second day of the gathering of Nato defence ministers comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured London, Paris and Brussels as part of efforts to convince allies to arm Kyiv with fighter planes.
The request, which comes as the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches, is the latest plea from Mr Zelensky to Western allies. The UK is set to become the first nation to start training Ukrainian pilots on Nato-standard aircraft, but the Government has indicated that any possibility of Britain lending jets to Kyiv is a long-term prospect.
