London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

'Putin has to be stopped' - the Britons preparing to fight in Ukraine

'Putin has to be stopped' - the Britons preparing to fight in Ukraine

Since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on foreign fighters to travel to Ukraine and join in the defence of the country, hundreds of Britons have come forward saying they want to volunteer.

Donations for Ukraine are being collected at a pop-up community centre in west London

"I've been losing sleep over it," says 32-year-old Joseph, whom we are only identifying with his first name at his request after he said he planned to make the journey to help in any way he can. "I feel like we're not doing enough."

Although he says he has recently applied to join the British army, he does not have any military experience - and has no links to Ukraine other than a friend he attended college with.

After hearing Mr Zelensky's appeal, he has come to a pop-up Ukrainian community centre in Holland Park, west London, set up to receive donations. But his search is for Ukrainians who might give him information on how to enlist for the war effort.

"I understand how tense the situation is and I understand what we're trying to avoid, [but] I think we need to stop [Putin] in his tracks. If we won't properly assist Ukraine then people are just going to have to volunteer and hope that we can have some kind of impact even if it's small."

Although Foreign Secretary Liz Truss did say in a BBC interview on Sunday she would support those in the UK who wanted to take up arms in Ukraine, the government has since made it clear that is not the official policy.

The most recent statement issued on the subject reminds people that the Foreign Office currently advises "against all travel to Ukraine". and "the best way we can help Ukraine right now is by ensuring Putin fails".

MP Tobias Ellwood, who has served in the Army and is chairman of the Commons defence select committee, was unequivocal on Twitter as he wrote: "Please do NOT go if you have no combat experience. You may get yourself, and others who have to look after you, killed."

But Joseph says he is not deterred: "I've got friends who have been in the service, so I've got an idea of what to expect. I've had my warnings."

He said the reaction from his family has been mixed, but they can understand his reasons for wanting to volunteer.

Ukraine has urged volunteers to come forward and bolster its defence forces


"The stance is, if you believe in something, if you genuinely believe in something - like freedom, a democratic system - unfortunately you've got to be willing to die for it," he says.

"We live a short life, let's make it count."

The Ukrainian embassy told the BBC it appreciated the support of "all people who want to support our country and fight Russian aggression",but it stressed it was playing no role in helping people enlist.

Instead, informal networks have emerged to help put Britons in touch with people who can meet them in third-party countries between here and Ukraine and assist them in getting to the front line.

Luke, 22, a Londoner who also has no military training, admits he is scared by the prospect of going to Ukraine, but still plans to make the journey.

"I feel like just watching the news everyday and seeing what's happening, I feel like I want to help in some way," he says.

"So if I can then I will. Even moving things around, driving, anything. I want to help in any way I can.

"If a 22-year-old fit and healthy person isn't going to go, who is going to go and defend them?"

He says he is hopeful that foreign fighters can help make a difference in the conflict.

"I think it's amazing what the Ukrainians have done so far without… [Nato] troops on the ground," he says.

"So I do think eventually, if enough people go to help, and we do keep supplying aid to them, lethal and non-lethal, then we can push them back."

He also says he hasn't told his family about his plans to travel to Ukraine and doesn't intend to before he leaves. "I don't want anyone to talk me out of this. I've made my decision," he says

Of course many of those who are planning to travel from the UK are Ukrainians who are not affected by the Foreign Office advice and can freely choose to return home. Among them is Mykhalo, a 43-year-old from the city of Lviv who was on a visit to the UK when the invasion started.

Flowers and balloons left outside the Ukrainian embassy in London


He normally works in building management and has no military experience, but wants to get back as soon as possible to join the fighting.

"It might be tonight, who knows. I just must help my country. I have no choice," he says.

"We are not the richest country. But we never affected any other country. People have normal life. Working, working, cooking, laughing, travelling. And now, some monster… I don't know what he's thinking about."

Asked what he thinks about the British nationals volunteering to help defend Ukraine, he says: "My brothers! I love them."

The community centre has been receiving a steady stream of donations of military equipment as well as food and clothing for people displaced by the conflict.

Ewan Vidion has just delivered a carful of items donated by reservists and others from around Portsmouth and South Hampshire.

"What I've brought is what they're urgently in need of," he says. "It's the medical supplies, the field dressings and also military gear, military clothing, bergens [military backpacks], mats for them to sleep on, some helmets."

The plan is for the donations to be packed into a convoy and transported overnight to arrive in Kyiv on Thursday.

Ewan says: "People feel like our hands are tied, so it's a case of saying 'What can we do as ordinary people?'"

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×