A British soldier, who left the army to fight in Ukraine, has been shot dead during fighting in the besieged city of Severodonetsk, his family have said.
Jordan Gatley had resigned from the British military shortly after Russia invaded in March to fight in Ukraine and help to train its army.
His father, Dean, announced the news on Facebook on Saturday, the day after the soldier was killed in the eastern Ukraine city.
“Yesterday, we received the devastating news that our son, Jordan, has been shot and killed in the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine,” he wrote. “His team say they all loved him, as did we, and he made a massive difference to many people's lives, not only soldiering, but also by training the Ukrainian forces.”
Explaining the circumstances in which his son left his infantry regiment, believed to be 1 Rifles, Mr Gatley said Jordan had gone “to continue his career as a soldier in other areas” after the “war against Europe had begun so, after careful consideration, he went to Ukraine to help”.
Ukrainian colleagues had sent messages that Jordan had a “wealth of knowledge”, along with excellent soldiering skills.
“Jordan and his team were so proud of the work they were doing and he often told me that the missions they were going on were dangerous, but necessary,” he wrote. “He loved his job and we are so proud of him. He truly was a hero and will forever be in our hearts.”
Mr Gatley's post has attracted hundreds of messages of condolence.
His son was the second former British soldier to die fighting the Russians after Scott Sibley, 36, was killed in April.
Last week, two Britons, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, were sentenced to death in the Donetsk People's Republic breakaway region of Ukraine.
Britain states the men were regular soldiers and should be exempt under the Geneva Conventions from prosecution for participation in hostilities.
The pro-Russian separatists who control Donetsk state the pair committed grave crimes and have a month to appeal.
Severodonetsk has become the critical focus of the Russian offensive as one of the last areas in the occupied eastern Luhansk region still under Ukrainian control.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Defence posted in its latest intelligence update that “Russia is using its overmatch in force ratio and artillery to gradually seize territory in and around Severodonetsk".
