By Matthew Roscoe • Updated: 23 Jun 2022 • 20:00
Shock as Mallorca's Ángel Adrover Martínez died during battle in Ukraine. Image: Twitter @RafaChessBcn
UPDATE 6.06 pm (June 23) – According to Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine, Mallorca’s Ángel Adrover Martínez may not have been killed by Russian forces.
Information coming out of Kyiv has suggested that the young Mallorcan was not killed in combat as originally thought.
In fact, it is not known whether Adrover became an active part of the front lines at any point during the nearly three months he spent in Ukraine, as reported by Ultima Hora.
The news outlet noted that an autopsy is due “in the next few days” as is work on the repatriation of the body.
Adrover, a native of Portocolom (Felanitx) Mallorca, had no military training before entering Ukraine via the Netherlands and is believed to have been the first Spanish citizen killed in the country.
However, it appears that he was training to fight in the war.
On May 11, the 31-year-old posted his last YouTube channel, in which he explained how to load an M4A1 assault rifle.
ORIGINAL 3.06 pm (June 22) – Mallorca’s Ángel Adrover Martínez died on June 18 during battles in war-torn Severodonetsk, Ukraine, according to reports. He was not a trained soldier and is believed to be the first Spanish citizen killed in the country.
According to reports from Mallorca, Adrover graduated with honours in Telecommunications Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and spent almost a year and a half in Barcelona before moving to the Netherlands and subsequently entering the war in Ukraine.
Pavel Fredomhauer, an independent, Moscow/London-based defence analyst, said: “Ángel Adrover Martínez, a Spanish illegal combatant in Ukraine, was killed on 18 June, possibly at Severodonetsk. Aged 31, he appears to have had no prior military experience. Believed to be the first Spanish citizen killed. Was a telecommunications engineer from Mallorca.”
Ángel Adrover Martínez, a Spanish illegal combatant in Ukraine, was killed on 18 June, possibly at Severodonetsk. Aged 31, he appears to have had no prior military experience. Believed to be the first Spanish citizen killed. Was a telecommunications engineer from Mallorca. pic.twitter.com/t5QW6yP7qQ — Pavel Fredomhauer (@fredomhauer) June 22, 2022
Ángel Adrover Martínez, a Spanish illegal combatant in Ukraine, was killed on 18 June, possibly at Severodonetsk. Aged 31, he appears to have had no prior military experience. Believed to be the first Spanish citizen killed. Was a telecommunications engineer from Mallorca. pic.twitter.com/t5QW6yP7qQ
— Pavel Fredomhauer (@fredomhauer) June 22, 2022
His mother, Dolores Martínez, revealed that a colonel in the Ukrainian Army contacted her personally via Whatsapp to tell her of the news.
The message read: “I met [your] son personally. He was on the very base where the war really started. He worked for a short time in my telecommunications team in Lviv, but then he decided that he had to help out on the front lines. He was a very honest person, extremely intelligent and with very clear principles. He was a brave person, I admire his courage,” as reported by Ultima Hora.
In a video from Ultima Hora, residents of Portocolom woke up to the tragic news of the death of Ángel Adrover, the young Majorcan who joined the Ukrainian forces to fight the Russian invasion.
Tributes pour in following the news of Ángel Adrover Martínez’s death.
“Honour to the fallen,” one person wrote on Twitter.
URGENTE GUERRA POR LA INVASIÓN RUSA. MUERE EN COMBATE UN INGENIERO TELECO ESPAÑOL. TRABAJÓ EN LAS COMUNICACIONES DEL EJÉRCITO UK, Y LUEGO FUE A LA LÍNEA DE FRENTE. D. ANGEL ADROVER MARTÍNEZ, MALLORQUÍN, 31 AÑOS, ORIUNDO DE MANACOR. HONRA Y HONOR A LOS CAÍDOS POR LA LIBERTAD pic.twitter.com/xjivwZLYgK — Roberto Romero (@Roberto96217525) June 21, 2022
URGENTE GUERRA POR LA INVASIÓN RUSA.
MUERE EN COMBATE UN INGENIERO TELECO ESPAÑOL. TRABAJÓ EN LAS COMUNICACIONES DEL EJÉRCITO UK, Y LUEGO FUE A LA LÍNEA DE FRENTE.
D. ANGEL ADROVER MARTÍNEZ, MALLORQUÍN, 31 AÑOS, ORIUNDO DE MANACOR.
HONRA Y HONOR A LOS CAÍDOS POR LA LIBERTAD pic.twitter.com/xjivwZLYgK
— Roberto Romero (@Roberto96217525) June 21, 2022
“We have lost a compatriot. Ángel Adrover Martínez, 31, has died in the Ukrainian conflict. Eternal glory to him and his family. Death is not the end, Save Europe,” one person said.
We have lost a compatriot. Ángel Adrover Martínez, 31, has died in the Ukrainian conflict.Eternal glory to him and his family. La muerte no es el final,Salve Europa. pic.twitter.com/LkjTZ8f5pu — Alberto Blanco (@albertoblasu) June 22, 2022
We have lost a compatriot. Ángel Adrover Martínez, 31, has died in the Ukrainian conflict.Eternal glory to him and his family.
La muerte no es el final,Salve Europa. pic.twitter.com/LkjTZ8f5pu
— Alberto Blanco (@albertoblasu) June 22, 2022
“First Spaniard to fall in Ukraine: Ángel Adrover Martínez, a 31-year-old Majorcan and telecommunications engineer, died last weekend in Ukraine, where he had traveled from the Netherlands a few months ago with the intention of fighting on the front.”
1er español caído en Ucrania: Ángel Adrover Martínez, mallorquín de 31 años e ingeniero de Telecomunicaciones, falleció el fin de semana pasado en Ucrania, donde se había desplazado hace unos meses desde Holanda con la intención de combatir en el frente. D.E.P. — Eduardo Uribe (@euribem) June 21, 2022
1er español caído en Ucrania: Ángel Adrover Martínez, mallorquín de 31 años e ingeniero de Telecomunicaciones, falleció el fin de semana pasado en Ucrania, donde se había desplazado hace unos meses desde Holanda con la intención de combatir en el frente. D.E.P.
— Eduardo Uribe (@euribem) June 21, 2022
“Ángel Adrover, a Spanish volunteer in Ukraine has died in combat fighting the invaders. RIP. We, your countrymen, are proud of your sacrifice. Glory to the heroes and remember people: freedom is not free. We pay for it in blood.”
Ángel Adrover, Spanish volunteer in Ukraine has died in combat fighting the invaders. RIP. We, your contrymen, are proud of your sacrifice. Glory to the herores and remember, people: freedom is not free. We pay for it in blood. pic.twitter.com/COqFBE5WkX — Western World for the Win 🇪🇸🇪🇺🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦🇦🇺 (@RaquideoF) June 21, 2022
Ángel Adrover, Spanish volunteer in Ukraine has died in combat fighting the invaders. RIP. We, your contrymen, are proud of your sacrifice. Glory to the herores and remember, people: freedom is not free. We pay for it in blood. pic.twitter.com/COqFBE5WkX
— Western World for the Win 🇪🇸🇪🇺🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦🇦🇺 (@RaquideoF) June 21, 2022
“Ángel Adrover worked as a telecommunications engineer in Lviv before taking up arms and joining the local Army at the front, always saluting.”
Fotos del mallorquín muerto en combate en las filas Ucranianas. Ángel Adrover cooperó como ingeniero de telecomunicaciones en Lviv antes de tomar las armas y unirse al Ejército local en el frente, siempre saludaba. pic.twitter.com/XmcyqtnNyh — Ⓜⓔⓝⓖⓐⓝⓞ Ⓓⓔ Ⓣⓐⓛ (@RafaChessBcn) June 21, 2022
Fotos del mallorquín muerto en combate en las filas Ucranianas.
Ángel Adrover cooperó como ingeniero de telecomunicaciones en Lviv antes de tomar las armas y unirse al Ejército local en el frente, siempre saludaba. pic.twitter.com/XmcyqtnNyh
— Ⓜⓔⓝⓖⓐⓝⓞ Ⓓⓔ Ⓣⓐⓛ (@RafaChessBcn) June 21, 2022
Tragically, it appears that the man from Mallorca was listed among foreigners fighting in Ukraine in a document leaked by Russians.
“The dead Spaniard, Ángel Adrover Martínez, appeared in the first place of the Spaniards in a list of foreigners fighting in Ukraine that was leaked by the Russians 2 months ago.”
El español muerto, Ángel Adrover Martínez, figuraba en primer lugar de los españoles en una lista de extranjeros combatiendo en Ucrania que fue filtrada por los rusos hace 2 meses: pic.twitter.com/Kkr4mGjsjg — Ciruela negra (@ciruela_negra) June 21, 2022
El español muerto, Ángel Adrover Martínez, figuraba en primer lugar de los españoles en una lista de extranjeros combatiendo en Ucrania que fue filtrada por los rusos hace 2 meses: pic.twitter.com/Kkr4mGjsjg
— Ciruela negra (@ciruela_negra) June 21, 2022
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Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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