British Freedom Fighters join Ukraine's foreign legion vowing to fight against 'Russia's war crimes'

Ukraine has established a foreign "international" legion for volunteers from abroad and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly urged foreigners to "fight side-by-side with Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals" in order to show support for his country.

Last week, Zelenskyy said that more than 16,000 foreigners have answered his call.

Some of the foreign fighters in Ukraine say they were attracted by the cause: to halt an unprovoked attack they view as a once-in-a-generation showdown between the forces of democracy and dictatorship.

Standing outside the ticket hall of Lviv station on Sunday were a group of British men in military uniform, waiting for a train to Kyiv. They were in high spirits, often exchanging fist-bumps and handshakes with Ukrainian refugees who thanked them for fighting for their country.

They were led by Ben Grant, a strapping Englishman from Essex, who had just completed a month-long stint as a security advisor in Iraq. He was unclear whether his men would be deployed independently or as part of a Ukrainian unit.

"We're going to wait and see what the situation is as we get further in," said Grant. It's all going to depend on...where they need us."

Another member of the group, an Englishman in his twenties who identified himself as Jax, said his family was proud but “not happy” that he had come to Ukraine.

Even those who have previously seen fighting might struggle in Ukraine's war zones warned a British soldier who identified himself only by his nickname, Kruger. He said he had served in the British military for seven years and was a veteran of Afghanistan who trained other soldiers.

"If you're out here as a war tourist, this is not the place for you," he said. "The realities of war, if you head out to the front, are going to be pretty overwhelming."
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