A British teenager who volunteered to fight in Ukraine was tragically killed by a Russian drone just minutes into his first mission on the frontline.
James Wilton, just 18-years-old, died on his very first mission after being chased by three deadly drones in an open field with nowhere to hide.
The young recruit had flown from Manchester to Ukraine four months earlier, determined to stand against Russia‘s invasion – despite having no prior military experience.
James had joined a small team of international fighters tasked with delivering supplies to the frontline last July.
But the mission quickly turned into a nightmare when Russian drones spotted them crossing an open field without cover.
James’ best friend Jason tragically recalled the incident that claimed the teenagers’ life as his ‘first and last mission’.
Jason – a US volunteer who lost his left foot in a later battle – said the group of six soldiers were travelling in groups of two, 20 metres apart carrying heavy 60 kilo packs.
‘I could see he was scared and I was scared too, but I told him he was going to be OK,’ he told The Sun.
Recruits of the ‘Alcatraz’ assault battalion composed of ex-prisoners prepare for medical and trench training in Donetsk Oblast on January 31, 2025
Soldiers from 68th brigade of Ukrainian army take a break to have a meal during military training in Donbas Region, Ukraine on January 29, 2025
When James stopped ahead of him Jason noticed the drone flying above them.
Jason said: ‘I screamed at him: “We need to move, we need to move!” Then the drone moved and began hovering 20 metres above me.’
According to Jason, the drones hovered over them, forcing the young Brit to make a desperate decision—run for safety or stand and fight.
He sprinted, but the drone followed him and struck just 30 metres from the trench line where safety lay.
‘Once the drone was on him, James never stood a chance,’ he said.
His grieving father Graham Wilton admitted he had begged his son not to go, but James was set on his mission.
‘He wanted to help Ukraine,’ Graham told The Sun. ‘I wish we could have swapped places because he had his whole life in front of him.’
James had joined a small team of international fighters tasked with delivering supplies to the frontline last July.
James’s death remained unreported for months, leaving his family to grieve in private
Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd Brigade are seen working on a Soviet era Pion self propelled howitzer in the direction of Chasiv Yar, Ukraine on January 27, 2025
But the mission quickly turned into a nightmare when Russian drones spotted them crossing an open field without cover.
His best friend Jason, an American volunteer fighter, was with him at the time. He described the terrifying moment they realised they were being hunted.
James’s death remained unreported for months, leaving his family to grieve in private.
His father, a trade counter assistant from Huddersfield, travelled to Ukraine to attend his son’s cremation, where he met Jason and the other foreign fighters who had fought alongside him.
Speaking about the loss of his son, Graham said: ‘It’s taken time to process, but I think it’s important people know about James’s sacrifice.’
James’s mother Kerrie-Anne, 44, had desperately tried to stop him from travelling to Ukraine, but he had already made up his mind.
His father was the one who drove him to Manchester Airport for his journey into the war zone.
Jason, who later lost his foot after stepping on a landmine, has since returned to Ukraine for rehabilitation.
Despite his injuries, he refuses to leave the war zone, still driven by the loss of his friend.
‘I knew James was going to be a lifelong friend,’ he said. ‘Now he’s gone, and all I have are memories.’
James had no formal military training before joining Ukraine’s 2nd International Legion, but he quickly adapted.
His team saw him as a younger brother, eager to prove himself.
James Wilton, just 18 years old, died on his very first mission after being chased by three deadly drones in an open field with nowhere to hide. Pictured: This special battalion, Alcatraz, was created as part of the 93rd Separate Mechanised Brigade ‘Kholodnyi Yar’
His father is now considering returning to Ukraine to scatter his son’s ashes – a final tribute to the teenager who gave everything for a cause he believed in.
It comes as a British aid worker lost an arm and a leg following a Russian drone strike in Eastern Ukraine.
Ed Scott, from Shatesbury, in Dorset, was evacuating civilians just 5km from the frontline on Thursday when a Kamikaze drone attacked the civilian-marked van he was driving.
The 28-year-old, who took the brunt of the impact, was rushed to hospital in a serious condition while being kept alive by a colleague but doctors were forced to amputate his left leg and arm.
Last moth, an ex-British army sniper was killed in Ukraine after sacrificing himself being gunned down by a Russian drone in a bid to save his fellow servicemen.
Former Royal Welsh Fusilier Alexander Garms-Rizzi, 23, placed himself as ‘bait’ in an attempt to divert three of his Ukrainian troops being shot in battle.
Brave Alexander was then fatally hit by a Russian drone in ‘no man’s land’ between warring sides as he attempted to save his comrades by running in circles as they sped to a nearby bunker.
And in November, a British volunteer was tragically killed while fighting Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine.
Callum Tindal-Draper, 22, from Gunnislake, Cornwall, was killed in action on November 5 while serving with the foreign volunteer platoon in the war against invading Russia.
His family was told that Callum died while defending an observation point when it was targeted by Russian forces.
