A British man Samuel Newey, has been killed while fighting in eastern Ukraine, his family have said.
Samuel Newey, 22 year old-Image Source: The Guardian
Newey a 22-year-old from Solihull, had been volunteering as a fighter in Ukraine for more than a year before he was killed.
His brother Daniel Newey said in a Facebook post: “My little brother Sam was killed in action yesterday in Eastern Ukraine.
“I cannot put into words how broken I feel. I also cannot emphasise how proud I am of my little brother. He’d just turned 21 when he decided to answer the call and travel to Ukraine to push back against Russian Imperialism.”
He added: “Sam you gave your life for people you never knew and acted with courage, morality and honour. Not only are you my little brother, but you’re an exceptional man, a good soldier and one of the bravest people I ever had the privilege of knowing.”
Daniel shared a photo of his brother in Ukrainian military uniform.
Samuel initially travelled to Ukraine as a member of a foreign volunteer fighting unit known as the Dark Angels, formed by the ex-Parachute Regiment member Daniel Burke.
Newey is the latest Briton to be killed in Ukraine, with others including Simon Lingard, 38, from Blackburn, and Jordan Gatley, who died fighting Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk in June.
Scott Sibley, 36, died in late April in Mykolaiv after a drone dropped mortars on his regiment and 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 Foreign Office has said it is providing consular assistance to the families of British nationals who have died in Ukraine.
The death of Samuel Newey is a reminder of the high human cost of the war in Ukraine. He was a young man who gave his life for what he believed in, and his sacrifice will be remembered by all who knew him.
