18-year-old British volunteer soldier James Wilton was killed during his first combat mission in Donetsk region. PHOTO
James Wilton, an 18-year-old volunteer soldier from the United Kingdom who joined the Armed Forces a few months after graduating from college, was killed in the fighting for Ukraine. It was his first combat mission.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported to the BBC by his 52-year-old father, Graham Wilton.
It is known that James died during a Russian drone attack in the village of Terny on the eastern front of Ukraine.
According to his father, James wanted to join the British army when he finished high school, but ended up enrolling in an animal care course at college.
At the age of 17, he started talking about his desire to go to Ukraine to help. His parents and two older sisters did not support this idea, but they could not dissuade him.
In April 2024, after graduating from college, James travelled to Ukraine to fight with Russian troops.
What is known about the British volunteer soldier?
James became the youngest Briton to die defending Ukraine from a full-scale Russian invasion.
During his first combat deployment on 23 July 2024, when he was walking across a field with a group of foreign soldiers delivering supplies to the front line, he was spotted and pursued by three Russian drones.
Wilton's friend, Jason, an American, said the drone exploded just 30 metres from the safety of the site. He died on the spot.
"Once the drone targeted him, James didn't stand a chance. It was James' first and last mission," said the American.
The soldier told the Sun that he was not supposed to go, but decided to join because his best friend was going on a mission.
"I will never get over it. I did not want him to go, but he was determined to do so. He wanted to help Ukraine. I was told excerpts from the story of his death, but it was hard for me to accept it, and I wish we had exchanged places because he had his whole life ahead of him," said the father of the deceased Briton.
The British Foreign Office has confirmed the death of James Wilton.
According to The Telegraph, the deceased British volunteer soldier had no military experience, but took a crash course with Ukrainian instructors before being sent to the Second International Legion of Ukraine.
