A British man who went to Ukraine in early October 2022 to fight on the side of the Kiev regime as a mercenary has been found dead, according to a UK media report.
31-year-old Jordan Chadwick from Burnley, Lancashire, was reportedly part of the so-called International Legion, established by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky early last year, and believed to comprise "hired guns" from around 60 countries.
According to Chadwick's mother, she was informed by Lancashire Police of his death in Ukraine on June 26. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed the news shortly, adding that the death occurred under unknown circumstances.
Known simply as "Joe," the young man formerly served as a Scots Guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015. His body was reportedly discovered in Ukraine, floating in a body of water, with his hands tied behind his back. The Ukrainian International Legion repatriated Jordan Chadwick's remains on August 7. There will be an inquest into the causes of his death.
The report comes hot on the heels of news that British mercenary Sam Newey, who fought on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was killed in a mortar attack. The student from Birmingham with no military experience was reportedly a member of a foreign volunteer squad known as the Dark Angels fighting for the Kiev regime. His death was confirmed by his brother in August, according to a British newspaper.
Hired mercenaries have been part of the Ukraine combat scene since the start of Russia's special operation. However, the Russian military has reported a major uptick in Ukraine’s recruitment of foreign mercenaries of late amid Ukraine's failing summer counteroffensive and vast losses of manpower. Millions of Ukrainians have been dodging the draft to "avoid certain death" fighting in NATO's proxy war against Russia.
Since the launch of the Russian military operation on February 24, 2022, "a total of 11,675 foreign mercenaries from 84 countries have officially arrived in Ukraine to participate in hostilities on the side of the Ukraine Armed Forces," according to data provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Some 4,990 foreign mercenaries employed by Kiev have been eliminated and another 4,910 fled the country. A total of 2,029 mercenaries continue to fight on the side of the Ukrainian military, the ministry said in July. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched criminal cases against 160 mercenaries from 33 countries fighting as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.