Western Morning News (Saturday)
Former Devon-based soldier killed in Ukraine
ABRITISH man who served as a soldier in Devon has been killed in Ukraine, the Foreign Office has confirmed.
Scott Sibley who was a former member of the Commando Logistics Support Squadon based at RMB Chivenor, near Barnstaple, has been named as the first officially confirmed UK fatality. Another Briton has been declared missing.
Scott, known as ‘Sibs’ to his friends, died on April 23 according to a GoFundMe page set up in his memory and to raise money for a funeral service.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) did not provide any details on what Mr Sibley or the missing person, who has not been named, had been doing in Ukraine.
Unconfirmed reports said he had been fighting with Ukraine forces against Russian invaders, alongside the UK colleague posted as missing.
A post written on the Logistic Support Squadron Facebook page paid tribute to the ex-serviceman. It said he showed “commando spirit until the end”.
The post said: “This week the Sqn has lost a former serving soldier. A man that showed Commando spirit until the end. RIP. Scott Sibley.”
The GoFundMe page set up to help cover funeral costs for Mr Sibley, said: “Sadly on the 23rd April 2022, Scott Sibley “Sibs” was taken from us all. On behalf of Sibs and his family I’m setting this gofundme page up, to try and raise funds to help cover funeral/additional costs, for our fallen hero and dear friend. Scott was a son, father, brother and uncle.
“To me he was a friend like no other and the bravest person I’ve had the pleasure to have known, he was as good as a brother to me. His life may have been cut short but he lived to the full and did things the Sibs way, right until the end.”
A FCDO spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a British national has been killed in Ukraine and are supporting their family. We are aware of a British national who is missing in Ukraine and are supporting their family. We are urgently seeking further information.”
People from across the world have been travelling to Ukraine to help the country repel the Russian invaders after Ukraine launched its foreign legion at the beginning of the war. A number of Britons, potentially running into hundreds, are known to be fighting in the country, despite pleas from the UK Government for people not to sign up.
Among their number are Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, who were captured by Russian forces trying to protect the city of Mariupol. They were featured in Russian propaganda videos which have since been removed from Facebook and Youtube.
In the weeks after the war broke out lines of people could be seen forming outside the Ukrainian embassy in London, eager to join the so called “Lads Army”. Among their number was Ethan Dennis, 21, who says he served in the Royal Navy and signed up to the Ukrainian foreign legion on March 2. The Portsmouth man says he tried to go to the Ukrainian embassy but took matters into his own hands when he got fed up with the red tape. He took a flight to Rzesz in south Poland before crossing the border into Ukraine with other UK ex-military service personnel he met at the airport.
After 10 days of fighting, he is now back in the UK. He said: “Having seen this brutal conflict first hand, I hope that a deal between Russia and Ukraine is reached sooner rather than later – for everyone’s benefit.”
Ethan says, on arriving in Ukraine, the soldiers were bundled into the back of a van and driven to Lviv where they collected their equipment and were assigned to a safe house.
After three days in the house, the group were surrounded by a Ukrainian special forces team, who’d been informed by a local of their position. Ethan said: “At the safe house we were treated really well with comfy beds and good food. But we believe a civilian informed the Ukrainians about our foreign uniforms which raised suspicion amongst the higher ranks.
“The team burst through the door and told us to put our hands on our head whilst they checked our documents and verified our stories. One of our squad even had a gun put to his head when he refused to follow one of their instructions. They had their safety [mechanism] off and their fingers on the triggers – it was an intense moment for us.”
Ethan and his buddies decided to take a train to Kyiv after they didn’t see enough action in Lviv. He claims that on their journey they helped police detain a suspicious man, who after being checked, was found to be making frequent calls to Russia.
When they arrived in Kyiv, he says dozens of families sleeping in the tube station stood up to applaud them. He said: “We were thrown right into the action and sent to guard a position just outside Kyiv.” He said he experienced missile strikes, mortar bombs and intense combat.