Two British aid volunteers go missing in Ukraine while evacuating civilians

09 January 2023 , 16:05

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Chris Parry, from Cheltenham, has gone missing from the Ukrainian frontline (Image: christoburg/Instagram)

Two British aid volunteers have been reported missing from the frontline in Ukraine, according to local police.

Andrew Bagshaw, 48, and Christopher Parry, 28, have not been seen since January 6, when they were helping to evacuate civilians near Soledar, in the Donetsk region.

The city is in the eastern Bakhmut region of Ukraine, where there has been heavy fighting. Civilian evacuations are often carried out even when under fire from Russian forces.

Ukrainian police said officers were told at around 5.15pm the following day that the two men, who are “citizens of Great Britain, aged 28 and 48”, had disappeared.

Andrew Bagshaw hasn't been seen since January 6

Mr Bagshaw was said to be 'dedicated' to his work in Ukraine

The police say they are searching for the pair, while the Foreign Office said they are aware of reports that the two are missing.

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Mr Bagshaw was born in the UK but now lives in Christchurch, New Zealand and has been working as part of a team of Ukrainian and international volunteers delivering aid and evacuating citizens, according to stuff.co.nz.

His parents Philip and Dame Susan Bagshaw, who founded the Canterbury Charity Hospital, have confirmed their son was reported missing.

Tenby Powell, founder of Kiwi KARE, a charity working with volunteers in Ukraine, said his organisation had been supporting Mr Bagshaw and funded a vehicle for him to use for the evacuations.

He said he had not heard from Mr Bagshaw in 24 hours and was concerned because of the environment he was working in.

Local police said they were searching for Mr Parry, pictured, and Mr Bagshaw (Justgiving)

He said he had not given up hope of finding him alive and told Stuff: “I got to know Andrew reasonably well.

"He was absolutely dedicated to that work. He did really extraordinary work under difficult circumstances.”

In a statement issued today Mr Bagshaw's parents described their son as a very intelligent independently minded person, who went to Ukraine as a volunteer to help people, believing this was the morally right thing to do.

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces have reduced Bakhmut to "burnt ruins".

The area has been bombarded by intense shelling for more than six months.

Sara Odeen-Isbister