A HERO who abandoned the British Military to battle for Ukraine is in line for a posthumous bravery medal after sacrificing his life to save lots of three comrades.
Former Royal Welsh Fusilier Alexander Garms-Rizzi, 23, acted as “bait” to attract fireplace away from three Ukrainian troops throughout a frontline battle.
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The trio reached the protection of a bunker – although one was critically wounded – within the bloody “meat grinder” conflict with Vladimir Putin’s forces within the east of Ukraine.
However Alexander was fatally wounded by a Russian drone within the bloody “no man’s land” between the warring forces.
And his commander and comrades saluted his braveness final evening as they mourned the younger Brit being hailed as one in all Ukraine’s most valiant frontline warriors.
His grieving greatest pal – a 28-year-old Finnish volunteer with the decision signal “Finn” – advised The Solar: “He was a born fighter and died how he would have wished – with honour whereas serving to others.”
Learn extra on the Ukraine warfare
Alexander was on a British Military NATO train in Estonia when he went awol in March 2022, a month after Russia invaded.
He despatched his British commander a message admitting he had crossed the border to affix Ukrainian forces, declaring he had gone to battle “an excellent evil.”
However he returned to the UK voluntarily after two months within the trenches and was jailed for a yr by a UK courtroom martial for defying direct orders to remain put.
The Solar’s workforce in Ukraine realized final week that Alexander – an infantryman with “Recon Staff Kilo” – had returned to the embattled nation after serving eight months of his sentence.
We organized to interview him in a cellar cafe at Kramatorsk close to the japanese frontline – however he instantly cancelled the assembly after being despatched on “an necessary job”.
Three days later we found that it had been his final mission, when his Ukrainian commander broke the information that he had fallen in battle on Monday.
Alexander – whose name signal was “Sasha” – has been confirmed useless despite the fact that it has been too harmful to get better his physique from the frontline forest the place he fell.
His Ukrainian commander advised The Solar yesterday: “He was a really courageous man and really skilled.
“Again in 2022, he was one of many first international legionnaires to come back to Ukraine.
“On the day he died Sasha and three Ukrainian troopers have been in a dugout which was badly hit and collapsed.
“Sasha was trapped beneath logs, however the guys managed to dig him out and realised they wanted to run about 500 meters to the subsequent protected shelter.
“There have been enemy drones, shelling and surveillance so Sasha advised a plan.
“He mentioned he would distract the drones by operating in a circle whereas the others ran to security – and that’s what they did.
“In the long run two of the blokes survived unscathed, although the opposite one was critically wounded close to the dugout – however Sasha didn’t make it.
“They later looked for him with drones and located his physique, nevertheless it hasn’t been evacuated but.
“He took a special path and was solely about 100 metres from security when he was hit. He died a hero.”
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The commander mentioned Alexander’s physique has proved not possible to get better in a forested space of the battle-scarred Kupiansk part of the frontline.
Comrades managed to succeed in him beneath cowl of fog and dragged him 50 metres in direction of their traces however have been pressured to desert the mission after coming beneath withering Russian fireplace.
The commander mentioned: “Our guys acquired shut and dragged his physique for about 50 meters however then the fog lifted, and drones began attacking them.
“The terrain makes it not possible to hold a physique safely as that is the forest – it’s too harmful.”
The commander mentioned Alexander was some of the in style and enthusiastic members of his international legion unit – and likewise a grasp of excessive tech weaponry.
He had already been adorned for “Distinctive Braveness” after single handedly thwarting a Russian offensive by blasting a tank with a British-supplied NLAW shoulder-launched missile.
The commander mentioned: “He was one of many first to grasp NLAW rockets and used one to cease a Russian advance in direction of Mykolaiv.
“Sasha was the primary to step up, acquired near the tank, and destroyed it, stopping the assault single-handedly.
“He did this sort of factor continually – he would selflessly battle for himself and his comrades however all the time with warning and talent.
“He was a machine gunner however versatile and will deal with many weapons and was coaching to be a sniper – he had a lot potential.”
Grieving comrades advised yesterday how Alexander boosted morale with jokes and banter, describing the hell of frontline fight as “Jackass Ukraine” after the TV prank present.
He additionally saved a menagerie of pets together with cats and canine and even a household of ducklings who saved troops stocked with recent eggs.
Shut pal Finn advised The Solar yesterday: “Sasha was very properly favored by everybody. He saved lives – each Ukrainians and foreigners and our commanders liked him as properly.
“He died doing one thing which was completely typical for him and it might not shock me within the slightest if he was awarded a posthumous medal for bravery.
“We’ve misplaced an excellent fighter and an excellent asset – not least as a result of he boosted morale and was all the time encouraging others.
“I bear in mind one time when he was operating round from dugout to the dugout, rallying the Ukrainians to come back and battle once we have been within the Donetsk area.
“We wanted extra folks to come back and assist and he ran round holding very quick however exact speeches telling them to get the f*** up and battle.
“He went on a bit of rampage simply speaking to guys saying ‘Ukraine wants you’ and it labored. None of us died in that operation.
“He was my greatest buddy and I’m going to overlook him – we’re all going to overlook him.”
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Alexander – a fluent Russian speaker who was born within the UK however has a Russian mom and an Italian father – had helped with translation and weapons coaching.
He was jailed in July 2023 after a choose at Bulford Navy Centre, Wilts dominated that going awol and combating for Ukraine risked dragging the UK right into a warfare with Russia.
However his principled stand got here near triggering a serious diplomatic spat after then Overseas Secretary Liz Truss mentioned she supported Brits who determined to affix the battle in Ukraine.
Additional friction adopted when a adorned Ukrainian warfare hero who fought alongside him requested Ukraine president Volodymr Zelensky to intervene.
Particular forces colonel and politician Roman Kostenko mentioned Alexander served in Ukraine beneath his private command – and proved a precious addition to his ranks.
Kostenko mentioned the fresh-faced Brit was one in all 10 international volunteers in an infantry regiment who helped beat again a Russian advance round Mykolaiv in spring 2022.
The colonel mentioned: “He arrived quickly after the full-scale invasion – despite the fact that he was younger, he was an achieved soldier.
“He thought of he was combating in opposition to an excellent evil. We had many conversations about this. It was a tough second, early within the warfare. He spent two months with us.”
Kostenko mentioned he had appealed to Zelensky to ask Downing Avenue to intervene on behalf of the younger Brit in view of his “ethical” stand, however appeals have been rejected.
He mentioned in a letter interesting for a pardon: “He joined bravely and professionally carried out fight missions within the south of Ukraine along with Ukrainian defenders.
“Regardless of his younger age he understood the strategic significance of defending Ukraine.”
“It is unhealthy for Britain if Ukraine loses this warfare. When volunteers from the UK and US stand with us on the battlefield we really feel the entire world helps us.”
Decide Advocate Basic Darren Reed mentioned at Alexander’s courtroom martial that by working alongside Ukrainian militia, he had defied orders and created a safety danger.
Sentencing him, Decide Reed mentioned: “The order to not go to Ukraine couldn’t have been clearer. The order was there to guard British forces and the state from being dragged into the battle.”
Alexander went on depart in March 2022 and did not return two weeks later, the navy courtroom heard.
When his unit managed to contact him, the soldier — – who lived in Russia till the age of 12 and had Ukrainian associates —- admitted he had gone to affix the warfare.
Colonel Grant Davies, prosecuting, advised the listening to: “In an interview he mentioned he went over to assist the Ukrainian folks. He mentioned he could not simply stand by and watch issues unfold.”
After being arrested when he re-entered the UK, the soldier pleaded responsible to being absent with out depart and to a cost of contravening standing orders.
Along with the one-year detention, Alexander, of Tidworth Barracks, Wilts, was dismissed from the British Military by the courtroom.
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