British man, 23, is killed in Ukraine just five days before receiving bravery award for saving a life

By SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:01, 24 May 2026 | Updated: 01:17, 24 May 2026 A young British man has been killed in action in Ukraine just days before he was due to receive a bravery award. Ayrton Redfearn, 23, died in the Donetsk region on May 9, after joining a specialist unit supporting the Ukrainian army in 2025.  A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: 'We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Ukraine, and are in contact with the Ukrainian authorities.'  His mother, who gave her name as Natasha, told the BBC she 'lived in fear of the police coming to my door with bad news'. 'This fear became reality on the evening of 11 May, and the world of myself, and Ayrton's 10-year-old brother, then fell apart,' she said. Mr Redfearn, from Devon, was a member of the Torquay Air Cadets as a child, and at 17, he joined the RAF before travelling overseas.  His mother added: 'We are trying to have just 1 per cent of the strength, bravery and courage of Ayrton, and if we can do this, it will help us to eventually come to terms with our life without him. 'I am very grateful for all the tributes, messages and support from those who knew Ayrton and from strangers.' Ayrton Redfearn (pictured) was killed in action while fighting in Ukraine The FCDO warns that British nationals fighting in Ukraine face a high risk of maltreatment. Its website says: 'British nationals fighting in Ukraine have been killed or captured. British nationals undertaking humanitarian work have also been detained by Russian authorities. 'The risk to life, or of maltreatment, is high.' When the war started in 2022, Ukraine's authorities said more than 20,000 people from 52 countries came to its aid. Since then, the number of foreign fighters in Ukraine's military has been classified. Mr Redfearn's tragic death comes several months after a British paratrooper was killed on duty in Ukraine.  Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, of the Parachute Regiment, died in a 'tragic accident' while observing the testing of a new defensive capability in the war-torn country last December.  The 23-year-old, from Devon, had joined a specialist unit supporting the Ukrainian army in 2025 The Ministry of Defence released a photo of the fallen soldier alongside a heartfelt tribute in which they described L/Cpl Hooley, who was due to be promoted next month, as 'exceptional'. In their statement, the government department explained that the accident happened away from the front lines of Ukraine's defence against the Kremlin's invasion. In a touching tribute to the fallen paratrooper, they said: 'Lance Corporal Hooley was an exceptional soldier, and as a result of his performance and potential, was due to [be promoted] to Corporal in January 2026. 'As such, he was trusted with the responsibilities of a Corporal on this, his latest, deployment. 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and members of The Parachute Regiment at this incredibly difficult time.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.