The British founder of a bomb disposal charity has been killed in Ukraine while clearing minefields on the Russian border.
Chris Garrett was among three people critically injured in an incident near Izyum in the eastern Kharkiv Oblast on Tuesday.
And now, Shaun Pinner, a former British soldier and Ukraine war prisoner, has said on social media: "I can confirm that Chris was among those who died."
Garrett was the founder of Prevail, a charity which provides training to others in safely removing unexploded ordnance.
Garrett was among three people critically injured in an incident near Izyum in the eastern Kharkiv Oblast
CHRIS GARRETT
He was a British volunteer from the Isle of Man who dedicated his work to clearing landmines from the war-torn country.
Garrett had been working in Ukraine to clear landmines years before the full Russian invasion in February 2022.
In 2016, two years after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, he was already clearing landmines with a volunteer battalion as part of the Ukrainian National Guard.
And earlier this year, he was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in jail by a Russian proxy court on "terrorism charges" in his absence.
"The charges are ridiculous," he said at the time. "I mean, charged for terrorism by volunteering, or at times, being under contract by the Ukrainian armed forces."
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Garrett was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in jail by a Russian proxy court on 'terrorism charges'
CHRIS GARRETT
Nearly a third of Ukraine is estimated to have been "contaminated" by explosive ordnance.
Charities warn that landmines pose an "ever-present danger" to civilian communities, with children left particularly at risk from these hidden threats.
Garrett's work with Prevail was addressing this critical humanitarian issue that continues to endanger lives across Ukraine.
Tributes poured in for Garrett following the news of his death.
One social media user wrote: "He and the team were very courageous and brave. Their heroic legacy of brave actions and sacrifice will live on forever."
Another reflected: "I remember talking to the guy on here just after the war started I remember thinking then this guy and team are doing amazing things for Ukrainians."
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Garrett had been working in Ukraine to clear landmines years before the full Russian invasion in February 2022
CHRIS GARRETT
Shaun Pinner, who confirmed Garrett's death, was himself a prisoner of war in Ukraine after being captured by Russian forces in 2022.
Pinner had served with the British Army for nine years before joining Ukraine's military in 2018.
During his five months in captivity, he said he had been brutally beaten, electrocuted and starved by his Russian captors.
A Kyiv court later ruled he had been inhumanely treated and was entitled to compensation.
