British soldier who left unit to fight Russia in Ukraine jailed after risking dragging UK into war

A BRITISH soldier who went Awol for six months so he could fight in Ukraine has been locked up.

A judge ruled that his actions risked dragging the UK into a war with Russia.

Royal Welsh Fusilier Alexander Garms-Rizzi, 21, was deployed to Estonia when he went missing from a Nato operation.

He sent his unit a message admitting he had crossed the border to join pro-Ukrainian forces.

A court martial heard that by operating alongside Ukrainian militia, he had defied orders and created a security risk.

Sentencing Garms-Rizzi to 12 months in a military detention centre, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed said: “The order not to go to Ukraine could not have been clearer. The order was there to protect British forces and the state from being dragged into the conflict.”

Garms-Rizzi went on leave in March 2022 and failed to return two weeks later, the military court heard.

When his unit managed to contact him, the soldier — who lived in Russia until the age of 12 and had Ukrainian friends — admitted he had gone to join the war.

Colonel Grant Davies, prosecuting, told Bulford Military Centre, Wilts: “Fusilier Garms-Rizzi had regularly expressed concerns about the situation in Ukraine to colleagues.

“His mother is Russian. He is a fluent Russian and Italian speaker.

“A number of attempts were made to contact him.

“In messages he admitted that he was in Ukraine. He said he knew what he was doing was wrong. On 22 September [2022] he was arrested at the port of Dover.

“Police seized foreign military clothing and Ukrainian insignia.

“In interview he said he went over to help the Ukrainian people. He said he couldn’t just stand by and watch things unfold.”

After being arrested when he re-entered the UK, the soldier pleaded guilty to being absent without leave and to a charge of contravening standing orders.

He said his role in Ukraine included being a rifleman plus translation duties and medical care.

In addition to the one-year detention, Garms-Rizzi, of Tidworth Barracks, Wilts, was dismissed from the Army by the court.