A 23-year-old British man, Ayrton Redfearn, has been killed in action in Ukraine's Donetsk region, his family has confirmed. He died on 9 May.
Mr Redfearn, from Devon, had joined a specialist unit supporting the Ukrainian army in 2025, his mother, Natasha, told the BBC. She said she had “lived in fear of the police coming to my door with bad news”.
“This fear became reality on the evening of 11 May, and the world of myself, and Ayrton’s 10-year-old brother, then fell apart,” she added.
Mr Redfearn was a Torquay Air Cadet as a child and joined the RAF at 17 before travelling overseas. His mother described him as having strength, bravery and courage.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Ukraine, and are in contact with the Ukrainian authorities.” The FCDO continues to warn that British nationals fighting in Ukraine face a high risk of maltreatment or death.
