A former Cheshire soldier was shot dead fighting against Putin's army on the front line in Ukraine, his heartbroken family have said.
Jordan Gatley, from the village of Church Minshull, was described as "truly a hero" by his dad Dean, who said he was told on Friday that his son was killed in the city of Severodonetsk. Dean said Jordan, who left the British Army in March, joined the fight against Russia's invasion of Ukraine "after careful consideration." But tragically he was said to have been shot and killed in the war-torn nation last week, reports Cheshire Live.
In a Facebook post, Dean hailed his son a hero, saying: "I didn’t think that I'd ever use social media in this way but Sally, Adam and I would like to share some family news with all our friends, but there are just too many people to contact. We received the devastating news that our son, Jordan, has been shot and killed in the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine. Jordan left the British Army in March this year to continue his career as a soldier in other areas.
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"The war against Europe had begun so, after carful consideration, he went to the Ukraine to help."
Dean said that the family had been contacted by members of his team since his death.
He added: "His team say they all loved him, as did we, and he made a massive difference to many peoples lives, not only soldiering, but also by training the Ukrainian forces. Jordan and his team were so proud of the work they were doing and he often told me that the missions they were going on were dangerous, but necessary. He loved his job and we are so proud of him. He truly was a hero and will forever be in our hearts."
It comes after two British men were given the death sentence in Russian-controlled Donetsk.
Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, and Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, were sentenced to death after a show trial.
Two volunteers – Paul Urey, 45, and Dylan Healy, 22 – were seized by Russian soldiers at a checkpoint in April while trying to evacuate a woman and two children. And in the same month, British Army veteran Scott Sibley, 36, was killed in action after her travelled to Ukraine to fight against Russian forces.
