A former UK soldier barred from reenlisting due to a medical condition signed up for the Ukrainian forces
A former British soldier whose medical condition derailed his military career at home has been killed while fighting for Kiev in the Ukraine conflict, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
Jake Waddington, 34, died on Monday during a reconnaissance mission, after a Russian drone dropped a grenade on his position, the newspaper said. He was part of Kiev’s International Legion – a force of foreign fighters that Moscow considers mercenaries.
Previously, Waddington had served in the British Army as a member of the Second Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment, the report added. However, he had an epileptic seizure shortly before a scheduled deployment to Afghanistan and resigned.
Years later, after graduating from Durham University, he attempted to enlist again as an officer cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, but another episode of his condition derailed his plans and led to a medical discharge.
Months after that, Waddington traveled to Poland, where he reportedly joined a group that was rescuing animals from Ukraine. He later signed up to fight for Kiev. He served in the International Legion for over a year before his death. In November, he briefly visited Britain to renew his passport.
The newspaper interviewed several people for the story, including its own columnist, Robert Clark, who served with Waddington in the British Army. He reportedly had a knack for learning foreign languages and had taught himself Russian before joining the British Army.
Foreign nationals fighting for Kiev are legitimate military targets for Russian forces on the battlefield, Moscow has warned.
Russia has accused Kiev’s foreign backers of turning a blind eye to its effort to supplement its dwindling military ranks with mercenaries recruited among Western war veterans. Some of these people are supporters of far-right ideologies and enjoy impunity to commit crimes while taking part in the conflict, officials in Moscow have said.
Last September, the Russian Investigative Committee reported that it concluded investigations against 785 foreign mercenaries in the context of the Ukraine conflict. The Foreign Ministry has said it was sharing with friendly nations the personal details of identified fighters and their alleged crimes.
On Tuesday, Venezuela announced it apprehended seven foreign mercenaries which it alleged were planning terrorist attacks on its soil. Three of them “came from Ukraine, from the war in Ukraine, to bring violence to the country” Caracas stated.
