A former British soldier has died fighting Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, his family said.
Jordan Gatley left the British Army in March “to continue his career as a soldier in other areas” and flew to Ukraine shortly afterwards to help defend Russian forces and train Ukrainian soldiers.
Announcing the news on Facebook, his father Dean wrote: “Yesterday (10/22/06) we received the devastating news that our son, Jordan, has been shot dead in the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine.”
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He added: “His team says they all loved him, just like us, and he made a big difference in the lives of many people, not just soldiers, but also training Ukrainian forces.
“Jordan and his team were very proud of the work they were doing and often told me that the missions they were doing were dangerous but necessary.
“He loved his job and we are very proud of him. He really was a hero and will be in our hearts forever.”
Mr. Gatley’s post, written Saturday afternoon, has been greeted with hundreds of messages of condolence.
Image: Jordan is photographed during his days in the British Army with his father Dean. Image: Dean Gatley / Facebook Image: Image: Dean Gatley / Facebook
The city of Severodonetsk has become the main focus of the Russian offensive in recent weeks.
It is one of the last areas in the occupied eastern Luhansk region that is still under Ukrainian control.