As many as 3,000 British nationals are fighting alongside Ukrainian troops against Russian forces, Britain’s The Independent newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing a foreign volunteer unit commander.
Mamuka Mamulashvili, who leads the so-called Georgian Legion, told journalists that a total of nearly 20,000 foreign fighters are currently serving in volunteer units in Ukraine. According to Mamulashvili’s estimates, almost a seventh of them are UK citizens, or almost 3,000.
The commander went on to reveal that Britons were the second most represented group among the overseas fighters, followed by Americans.
London has not published an official tally of Britons who have gone to fight for Ukraine.
Since Moscow attacked its neighbour, UK top officials have sent mixed messages on British volunteers heading to the conflict zone.