UK Government confirms death of its citizen in combat in Donetsk region

The UK government has confirmed the death of a British national in combat in Ukraine. 23-year-old Ayrton Redfern from Devon was killed on May 9 during fighting in the eastern part of the Donetsk region, UNN reports with reference to Sky News.

Details

According to media reports, Redfern joined a specialized unit of the Ukrainian army last year and was due to receive a bravery award for saving a life five days before his death, according to his mother, who identified herself as Natalka.

In a post on Facebook, his mother wrote that Mr. Redfern was "extremely happy" in Ukraine and had made friends with people from all over the world, "all united by one mission — to fight for Ukraine."

He was known by the call sign Muso and became a team commander earlier this year.

His mother added: "Countless messages of condolence have come from Ukraine from Ayrton's commander and his comrades, noting his exceptional service and outstanding merit as a soldier, while remaining intelligent, cheerful, fond of joking in his spare time, always knowing how to boost morale, and being 100% focused on the job."

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) stated: "We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Ukraine and are in contact with the Ukrainian authorities."

The FCDO warns that British nationals fighting in Ukraine face a high risk of mistreatment.

"British nationals fighting in Ukraine have been killed or captured. British nationals involved in humanitarian activities have also been detained by the Russian authorities. The risk to life or of mistreatment is high," the statement reads.

At the beginning of the war, Ukrainian authorities stated that more than 20,000 people from 52 countries had come to Ukraine's aid.

Since then, the number of foreign fighters in the Ukrainian army has been classified.