Four British soldiers ‘gone AWOL’ are warned fighting Russians would be court martial offence

Four British soldiers believed to have gone AWOL to fight Russian troops in Ukraine were warned on Wednesday by a Cabinet minister that doing so would be a “court martial offence”.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stressed their actions risked a “dangerous situation” which the Kremlin could exploit if they are captured by pretending it was a British military intervention in the war in Ukraine.