A 61-year-old man who said his name is Ian and he is from a town near Liverpool in the UK prepares to enter Ukraine to join the fight against the Russian army at the Medyka border crossing in Poland. British officials are urging citizens not to go to Ukraine. Getty Images
A 61-year-old man who said his name is Ian and he is from a town near Liverpool in the UK prepares to enter Ukraine to join the fight against the Russian army at the Medyka border crossing in Poland. British officials are urging citizens not to go to Ukraine. Getty Images
A 61-year-old man who said his name is Ian and he is from a town near Liverpool in the UK prepares to enter Ukraine to join the fight against the Russian army at the Medyka border crossing in Poland. British officials are urging citizens not to go to Ukraine. Getty Images
A 61-year-old man who said his name is Ian and he is from a town near Liverpool in the UK prepares to enter Ukraine to join the fight against the Russian army at the Medyka border crossing in Poland.

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UK's armed forces chief says Britons should not go to fight in Ukraine

Dozens of people in the UK have already signed up to join an “international legion" of fighters formed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Layla Maghribi
Layla Maghribi

March 06, 2022

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Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

It is "unlawful and unhelpful" for British citizens to go and fight in Ukraine, a senior UK military official has said.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff, urged Britons not to head to Ukraine to fight against Russia, contradicting Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s previous expressions of support for those joining the fight.

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mr Radakin said: “We’ve been very clear that it’s unlawful as well as unhelpful for UK military and for the UK population to start going towards Ukraine in that sense.

“Support from the UK, support in whatever way you can. But this isn’t really something that you want to rush to in terms of the sound of gunfire. This is about sensible support based in the UK.”

Last week, Ms Truss said she would “absolutely” support anyone who wanted to fight, with a number of Britons keen to help Ukraine defend itself against President Vladimir Putin’s military operation.

Asked if the Foreign Secretary should not have made the suggestion, Mr Radakin said: “I think she was reflecting [that] she could and that we can all understand that sentiment, and that sentiment needs to be channelled into support for Ukraine.

“But we’re saying as professional military people that actually that is not necessarily the sensible thing to be doing.”

Ms Truss’s comments run contrary to the Foreign Office advice against all travel to Ukraine, and she has also been contradicted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and several other Cabinet colleagues who have warned Britons away.

Cars are left abandoned on a road as residents flee the town of Irpin, Ukraine after days of heavy shelling. Reuters
Cars are left abandoned on a road as residents flee the town of Irpin, Ukraine after days of heavy shelling. Reuters
A Ukrainian soldier helps a family fleeing from Irpin. Reuters
A Ukrainian soldier helps a family fleeing from Irpin. Reuters
A bus passes the Duke of Wellington statue, which has a traffic cone in the colours of the flag of Ukraine placed on top of it, in Glasgow, Scotland. AP
A bus passes the Duke of Wellington statue, which has a traffic cone in the colours of the flag of Ukraine placed on top of it, in Glasgow, Scotland. AP
Ukrainian children sleep at the reception point at the train station in Przemysl, Poland. Reuters
Ukrainian children sleep at the reception point at the train station in Przemysl, Poland. Reuters
Smoke rises as a Ukrainian soldier stands by the only escape route used by locals to flee from the town of Irpin. Reuters
Smoke rises as a Ukrainian soldier stands by the only escape route used by locals to flee from the town of Irpin. Reuters
A man flees from Irpin. Reuters
A man flees from Irpin. Reuters
A screengrab from footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry shows a purported Russian tank unit advancement in the Kyiv region. AFP
A screengrab from footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry shows a purported Russian tank unit advancement in the Kyiv region. AFP
People walk on debris of residential buildings damaged by shelling in the Zhytomyr region. Reuters
People walk on debris of residential buildings damaged by shelling in the Zhytomyr region. Reuters
A damaged residential building after Russian multiple rocket launchers shelled the area in the southern city of Mykolaiv. AFP
A damaged residential building after Russian multiple rocket launchers shelled the area in the southern city of Mykolaiv. AFP
Ukrainian soldiers sit in their armoured vehicle after fighting against Russian troops and Russia-backed separatists near Zolote village, Luhansk region. AFP
Ukrainian soldiers sit in their armoured vehicle after fighting against Russian troops and Russia-backed separatists near Zolote village, Luhansk region. AFP
A woman offers accommodation for people fleeing Ukraine at the main railway station in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
A woman offers accommodation for people fleeing Ukraine at the main railway station in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
A soldier holds a helmet as a wedding crown during the ceremony for members of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces Lesia Ivashchenko and Valerii Fylymonov, at a checkpoint in Kyiv. AP
A soldier holds a helmet as a wedding crown during the ceremony for members of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces Lesia Ivashchenko and Valerii Fylymonov, at a checkpoint in Kyiv. AP
Ukrainian soldiers carry a woman fleeing the town of Irpin. AP
Ukrainian soldiers carry a woman fleeing the town of Irpin. AP
A factory and warehouse burn after being bombarded in Irpin. AP
A factory and warehouse burn after being bombarded in Irpin. AP
Ukrainian soldiers near Zolote. AFP
Ukrainian soldiers near Zolote. AFP
A Ukrainian refugee boy, wearing a blanket on his shoulders, warms his hands with a gas heater shortly after crossing the Siret border into northern Romania. EPA
A Ukrainian refugee boy, wearing a blanket on his shoulders, warms his hands with a gas heater shortly after crossing the Siret border into northern Romania. EPA
People demonstrate against the Russian military operation in Ukraine in Buenos Aires, Argentina. EPA
People demonstrate against the Russian military operation in Ukraine in Buenos Aires, Argentina. EPA
First responders work at the scene after a missile hit a building at Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Reuters
First responders work at the scene after a missile hit a building at Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Reuters
A woman at a checkpoint on the road to Kyiv after her evacuation from a nearby town. AFP
A woman at a checkpoint on the road to Kyiv after her evacuation from a nearby town. AFP
A placard in the Ukrainian colours is held up at an anti-war demonstration the Bebelplatz square in Berlin, Germany. Reuters
A placard in the Ukrainian colours is held up at an anti-war demonstration the Bebelplatz square in Berlin, Germany. Reuters
A Ukrainian serviceman helps an elderly woman in Irpin, 20 kilometres north-west of the capital Kyiv. AP Photo
A Ukrainian serviceman helps an elderly woman in Irpin, 20 kilometres north-west of the capital Kyiv. AP Photo
Protesters cry during a demonstration in support of Ukraine at the Plaza Catalunya square in Barcelona. AFP
Protesters cry during a demonstration in support of Ukraine at the Plaza Catalunya square in Barcelona. AFP
A man walks past a machine gun at a checkpoint next to the last bridge on the road that connects the town of Stoyanka to the outskirts of Ukraine's capital Kyiv. AFP
A man walks past a machine gun at a checkpoint next to the last bridge on the road that connects the town of Stoyanka to the outskirts of Ukraine's capital Kyiv. AFP
Ukrainian servicemen put a wounded man on a stretcher in Irpin. AP Photo
Ukrainian servicemen put a wounded man on a stretcher in Irpin. AP Photo
People board a train to return to Ukraine after getting supplies in Zahony, Hungary. AP Photo
People board a train to return to Ukraine after getting supplies in Zahony, Hungary. AP Photo
Balloons in the colors of Ukraine during a demonstration against the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Mainz, Germany. AP
Balloons in the colors of Ukraine during a demonstration against the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Mainz, Germany. AP
A Ukrainian girl helps to weave a camouflage net for the Ukrainian army, in Odesa. EPA
A Ukrainian girl helps to weave a camouflage net for the Ukrainian army, in Odesa. EPA
Molotov cocktails prepared by a group of volunteers in Odesa. Hundreds are made every day. EPA
Molotov cocktails prepared by a group of volunteers in Odesa. Hundreds are made every day. EPA
Ukrainian servicemen assist people fleeing the town of Irpin after crossing the Irpin River on an improvised path under a bridge that was destroyed by a Russian air strike. AP Photo
Ukrainian servicemen assist people fleeing the town of Irpin after crossing the Irpin River on an improvised path under a bridge that was destroyed by a Russian air strike. AP Photo
A woman holds a dog while crossing the Irpin River on an improvised path under a bridge that was destroyed by a Russian airstrike, while assisting people fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine. AP Photo
A woman holds a dog while crossing the Irpin River on an improvised path under a bridge that was destroyed by a Russian airstrike, while assisting people fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine. AP Photo
Marina Yatsko and her boyfriend Fedor comfort each other at a hospital in Mariupol after her 18-month-old son Kirill was killed by shelling. AP Photo
Marina Yatsko and her boyfriend Fedor comfort each other at a hospital in Mariupol after her 18-month-old son Kirill was killed by shelling. AP Photo
Ukrainian civilians receive weapons training in a cinema in Lviv, western Ukraine. AP Photo
Ukrainian civilians receive weapons training in a cinema in Lviv, western Ukraine. AP Photo
Residents flee the town of Irpin, near Kyiv, Ukraine. AP Photo
Residents flee the town of Irpin, near Kyiv, Ukraine. AP Photo
Ukrainian soldiers carry a sick woman as civilians flee Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, after Russian attacks. AP Photo
Ukrainian soldiers carry a sick woman as civilians flee Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, after Russian attacks. AP Photo
Captured Russian soldiers at a press conference in the Interfax news agency in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP Photo
Captured Russian soldiers at a press conference in the Interfax news agency in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP Photo
Ukrainians beneath a destroyed bridge in Irpin. AP Photo
Ukrainians beneath a destroyed bridge in Irpin. AP Photo
A woman fleeing Ukraine on a bus near the border crossing in Korczowa, Poland. AP Photo
A woman fleeing Ukraine on a bus near the border crossing in Korczowa, Poland. AP Photo
A Ukrainian soldier and a militia man help a fleeing family on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 5, 2022. AP Photo
A Ukrainian soldier and a militia man help a fleeing family on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 5, 2022. AP Photo
Smoke rises after shelling by Russian forces in Mariupol. AP Photo
Smoke rises after shelling by Russian forces in Mariupol. AP Photo
People at a hospital during shelling by Russian forces in Mariupol. AP Photo
People at a hospital during shelling by Russian forces in Mariupol. AP Photo
Displaced Ukrainians at the Resurrection New Athos Monastery in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. AFP
Displaced Ukrainians at the Resurrection New Athos Monastery in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the formation of an “international legion” to help defend his country and appealed to foreign volunteers to come forward, promising them arms to fight against Russian troops.

A website to recruit foreign volunteers was launched by the Ukrainian government on Saturday with “step-by-step” instructions on how to join.

Since the crisis in Ukraine began, a steady stream of people, some with military experience and others who have never seen action, have arrived at the Ukrainian embassy in west London to volunteer to fight against Russia.

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