The UK defense ministry announced on Tuesday that a member of the UK Armed Forces had died in Ukraine after being injured in an accident.
British troops have never been deployed to serve in Ukraine. However, the UK has previously acknowledged that a small number of service people are in the country to support Ukraine’s armed forces and provide security to diplomatic personnel, as per the BBC.
In a statement, the ministry expressed their “deep regret” that the serviceman had died on Tuesday morning, adding that his family had been notified.
“He was injured in a tragic accident whilst observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability, away from the front lines,” the statement reads.
It is unclear what new defensive capability the statement could be referring to. As per the UK government, the UK has committed “up to £21.8 billion” ($29 billion) for Ukraine – primarily in the form of military support, but also bilateral assistance, fiscal guarantees, and reconstruction and defence projects.
According to the UK government, its support for Ukraine is due partly to the threat posed by Russia to its own security. On Dec. 4, a British judge held Russian President Vladimir Putin “morally responsible” for the fatal poisoning of a British woman with the Russian nerve agent Novichok in 2019.
Writing on X, UK Secretary of State for Defense John Healey said that he was “devastated” by the death.
“My thoughts are with their family, friends and colleagues as they grieve for a loved one. Our hearts go out to them,” he said.