British soldiers may have disobeyed orders to go and fight in Ukraine, Army says

10.03.2022 - 01:57 / dailyrecord.co.uk

A small number of UK troops have defied orders and may have gone to Ukraine to help fight against the Russian invasion, the British Army stated tonight.

It is possible the soldiers, who are absent without leave, have gone to help Ukrainian forces "in a personal capacity", the Army said.

A spokesperson added: "We are actively and strongly encouraging them to return to the UK."

All service personnel are banned from travelling to the war-torn nation until further notice, according to the Mirror.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has previously stated that she supports British civilians who want to help defend the people of Ukraine from Putin's unlawful invasion, however it was up to them to make the choice for themselves.

She told the BBC: “That is something people can make their own decisions about.

“The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.

“Absolutely, if people want to support that struggle I would support them in doing that.”

However, the head of the British armed forces has said Britons should help in sensible ways from home instead of going into the warzone.

Serving soldiers were warned last week that going to Ukraine could risk giving Russia "the mistaken perception" that Britain had sent in troops to fight - which could spark a serious escalation to the invasion.

However, some have already left to go fight including a soldier who swore to protect the Queen with his life has ditched his post to fight in Ukraine.

The 19-year-old Coldstream Guardsman quit his role in Windsor to take up arms fighting Vladimir Putin’s forces in eastern Europe.

The teenager is one of several Brits believed to have deserted their posts to join the war effort.

Ministry of Defence