Ukraine: Former British soldier shot dead on frontline hailed as hero

A “hero”, a former British soldier, was shot dead after fighting into Ukraine.

Tributes were paid to Jordan Gatley, and his heartbroken family said he will “be in our hearts forever”.

Father Dean Gatley said his son left the British Army in March “to pursue his military career in other areas”.

He “assessed the situation carefully” before deciding to travel to the war zone to help after Vladimir Putin wreaked havoc by dispatching Kremlin troops.

On Friday, news reached Jordan’s relatives that he had died in the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk.

In a Facebook post, Dean said: “We have received several messages from his team out there telling us about his wealth of knowledge, his skills as a soldier and his love for his job.

“His team says they all loved him, as did we, and he made a huge difference in the lives of many, not only as a soldier but also through training the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“Jordan and his team took so much pride in their work and he often told me that the missions they undertook were dangerous but necessary.

“He loved his job and we are so proud of him. He was truly a hero and will always be in our hearts.”

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We support the family of a Briton who died in Ukraine.”

It comes after British military veteran Scott Sibley became the first British national to be confirmed killed in the conflict.

Scott has been described as a “friend like no other” who “showed a commando spirit to the end.”

Meanwhile, two British prisoners of war have been sentenced to death after a “show trial” in Donetsk by a court unrecognized by the international community.

Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were captured in Mariupol while fighting for Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade, into which they were both officially enlisted.

Russian media have reported they have a month to appeal their sentence, hoping it will be a propaganda ploy or used as a bargaining chip.

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