The UK Ministry of Defense has announced the death of a serviceman as a result of a "tragic accident" during testing of a new defense system in Ukraine.
This is stated in the statement of the department in X.
The Ministry of Defense says it happened on the morning of December 9, far from the front line. The British soldier was watching Ukrainian fighters test new defensive capabilities.
The name, rank, and position of the deceased are not being disclosed. His family has already been notified of the sad news.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his “deep sadness and condolences” to the family of the British service member. And Defense Secretary John Healy said he was “stunned by the news of the death of a British service member in Ukraine”.
The BBC notes that the UK government previously confirmed the presence of a "small number of personnel" in Ukraine to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as to protect the British ambassador and other diplomats at the embassy in Kyiv. However, the exact number of troops was not specified.
This is the first officially confirmed case of the death of a British serviceman on the territory of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.