A Russian soldier has saluted the bravery of a British mercenary who was ‘killed as he fought to the death’ in Ukraine.
Christopher Edward Walker, 39, officially missing in action, died in a battle against a stronger Russian opposition, said Russian Lieutenant Denis Averkiev.
The ex-British soldier from Salisbury, Wiltshire had gone out to Ukraine to help the war effort in 2023 and was fighting in an international legion.
Earlier today Rodion Miroshnik, an ambassador-at-large for the Russian Foreign Ministry, reported the Briton’s death on the frontline.
Speaking to the Zvezda TV channel, which is linked to Russia‘s defence ministry, Lt Averkiev said: ‘We met more mercenaries from other countries than residents of Ukraine themselves.
‘The one we remember most strongly, Christopher, resisted.
‘He resisted for a while. He fought, apparently, to the last man not to stay, not to surrender.
‘There was no resistance after this Christopher, no one gave us much resistance.’
Christopher Edward Walker, 39, died in a battle against a stronger Russian opposition, said Russian Lieutenant Denis Averkiev
Rodion Miroshnik, an ambassador-at-large for the Russian Foreign Ministry, reported the Briton’s death on the frontline
Averkiev continued: ‘Just out of curiosity we decided to check, to see whose citizen this was, who had so violently stumbled into this stronghold….almost alone.
‘And it turned out he was a British citizen, a platoon commander or squad leader in charge of their unit.’
It is unclear what happened to the mercenary’s remains.
Reports say Walker died ‘during battles for the capture of the settlement of Kolodezi in the Kramatorsk district of [Ukraine’s Donetsk region].’
Fighters from Russia’s 144th Motorised Rifle Division of the 20th Army ‘killed British citizen Walker Christopher Edward, born on 10 December 1985, a native of the small settlement of Wroughton in north-east Wiltshire, England’.
The British citizen’s passport, driving licence and other documents were highlighted.
The British citizen’s passport, driving licence and other documents were highlighted
Miroshnik – whose role is to monitor alleged ‘crimes’ by the ‘Kyiv regime’, named him ‘a British Nazi mercenary’.
‘His presence speaks of the direct participation of British mercenaries in military actions in Ukraine.’
Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper said he was a rifleman in Ukraine’s 17th Separate Brigade.
The report said his body would not be repatriated, but a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Ukraine and are in contact with the local authorities.’
This month the death of James Wilton, 18, from Huddersfield, was also announced after he was reportedly killed by a drone on his first combat mission.
Last month ex-British Army sniper Alexander Garms-Rizzi, 23, was also killed in Ukraine while trying to save fellow soldiers.
