In early 2022, the 31-year-old was a semi-retired network cabling engineer who was most likely to be found “chilling out and snowboarding.” Then on February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine. The Stockwell resident was so furious he couldn’t sleep for three days. In the end, despite having no combat experience, he traveled to the war-torn country and enrolled in the foreign legion. Four months later, he is still fighting as an infantryman on one of the many front lines where the fighting is fierce. At the worst times in the trenches, under relentless Russian fire, when food and supplies are scarce, he says the comforts of home elude the troops. “It’s an artillery battle, so we spend a lot of time in holes and the little things make a big difference,” he explains from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, while on leave from an undisclosed front-line location. Not much of a break: Kharkiv is just a few kilometers from the Russian border and is under constant shelling and rocket fire. “The care packages that citizens have sent us, when they’ve made it, are awesome,” he continues, holding the assault rifle: the magazine is emblazoned with the label from a tin of British tinned hot dogs. “Once 2,000 socks showed up when we were all out of socks. It was the best thing ever. Socks, can you believe it?’ But even better than socks are snacks. “For me, it’s salt and vinegar chips, I really want them, they’re the best chips in the world. I asked everyone I know to send them to me. It just takes forever to get through customs. The little things can really change your day.” Craig was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference organized by Media Center Ukraine, a group supported by the country’s local and central governments. Foreign fighters in the ranks of the Ukrainian army are not a new concept, many have joined in the past eight years since the conflict first broke out in the east of the country. However, this February, in the first days of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of an official foreign legion and urged citizens from around the world to join. Defense ministry and foreign legion officials declined to tell The Independent how many are now among their ranks. A rescue worker puts out a fire following an attack by Russia in a residential neighborhood in central Kharkiv (AP) However, there are believed to be as many as 20,000 foreigners, some from as far away as Australia, who have heeded Mr Zelenksy’s call. A spokesman for the foreign legion told the Independent that recruitment is ongoing. The number of Britons is also a closely guarded secret. The British government told people without military training to stay away from Ukraine, although Foreign Secretary Liz Truss initially said she supported people who wanted to fight alongside international forces. Craig says there were five Brits in his company along with Poles, Americans, Australians, Brazilians and even a man from Taiwan. “Within Europe you expect some people to join us, but those who have come from countries that are far away, that really surprises me,” he adds. At first, however, there was a high dropout rate, particularly among those from the UK, he explains. “Many of them were young and terrified. It’s scary every day. Our position can get pretty hairy.” Ryan, 33, an American member of Craig’s firm who also spoke to the Independent in Kharkiv, says he believed the Americans were one of the biggest factions, despite the fact that it was a European war. “I think for a lot of U.S. military veterans, there can be a sense that they’ve fought in a lot of wars for no reason over the last 20 years,” continues the former Georgia mountain guide. “Maybe they’re part of a redemption tour to use the skills they have to finally fight a just war where they’re wanted and needed.” For Craig, joining the foreign legion was no joke and he had his baptism of fire at first. During his first two weeks in the country, he was stationed at the Yaroviv base near the Polish border for training. While there, he came under a massive missile attack: the first time Craig had experienced conflict. “Russia hit us with 36 cruise missiles. luckily the ukrainians shot most of them down. Eight of them made it and it was very scary. I thought at that moment ‘what have I done?’” Craig speaking at a press conference in Kharkiv (Kharkiv Media Hub) But he stuck it out and after training was sent to the front. Foreign Legionnaires sign one-year contracts, like Craig’s, with the military, but unlike the Ukrainians they can leave whenever they want, he explains. The military is very quick to help get those fed up out of the conflict zone, Craig says. Since then he has had some close calls. Although one of the most difficult moments for him was transporting a dead soldier to the hospital. “We had to look for his passport. When they opened it [body] bag was a pretty big mess which was pretty horrible. That kind of brings it home a bit,” he adds quietly. Aaron, 38, another American in Craig’s company, who before the war designed hospitals, says the worst day for him was when they were ambushed trying to rescue fellow Legionnaires stuck under shelling. Aaron also had no combat experience before signing up, although he shoots competitively back home where his wife and 18-year-old daughter live. “They rained mortars on us. We had to turn around. I spent that night not knowing if my friends were alive or if we had left them dead,” he adds, explaining that in the end everyone – his unit and the one that was trapped – made it. “I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried when I saw them.” He says they were lucky to have fire support from US-donated M777 howitzers and hoped Washington would continue deliveries of military aid. This is how the world should be together: we supported Ukraine. Nothing else matters Craig “I’m not sure we could have made it out alive without it. Things like artillery systems, long-range missiles, that means more of us can return alive to our families,” he adds. They face not only the danger of Russian fire but also the possibility of arrest. Russia has made it clear that despite the fact that the foreign soldiers are officially part of the Ukrainian army, they will not be treated as prisoners of war, who are protected under the Geneva Conventions. Instead, at least three foreign soldiers, including two British citizens, part of the Ukrainian forces captured in Mariupol were sentenced by Russian-backed separatists to death as mercenaries. Craig says he tries not to think about it too much. “It crossed my mind maybe two or three times, but now it doesn’t bother me. They can do whatever they want,” he says with a nervous laugh. Craig and his American colleagues are determined to stick it out until the end of the war. Although his war claims cannot be verified by The Independent, Craig believes he may even move full-time to Ukraine after the fighting stops. It was probably the steepest learning curve of his life, he adds. Barr “lost my missus”, has no regrets. “We have everyone from all over the world in our battalion, but there are never any problems. This is how the world should be together: we supported Ukraine. Nothing else matters,” he adds, taking a quick cigarette break. “My main message to the UK is to continue to support Ukraine, big and small things can change the bigger picture. “If you can’t send tanks, send some chips. Something to cheer a soldier up.”
