British man killed after fighting for a year on frontline in Ukraine 

Jay Morais was a British volunteer and reportedly died at the hospital after he was injured while fighting against the Russian forces in the region of Donbas, Ukraine.  

A British man who volunteers to fight against the Russian forces in Ukraine has died after spending a year on the frontline in Ukraine.  

According to official reports, cited by Metro on Thursday, May 11, his death was confirmed by Ukraine’s International Legion this week, as he died at the hospital.  

The 52-year-old fighter named Jay Morais reportedly lost his life at a hospital in Kharkiv, after he was involved for months fighting in Severodonetsk and Bakhmut, located in the region of Donbas.  

In a previous statement after joining the fight in Ukraine, Morais had stated that he was “not brave just wired different”, adding that when he was fighting, it stopped him from feeling scared.   

As per his fiancee, Lidiya Martynovaa, the funeral was held for him in Ukraine, and he was given military honours.  

It has also been reported that half of his ashes were laid at a cemetery in Ukraine, and the rest have been sent home to his family in the UK.  

Martynovaa said that “Jay was a very special guy, beautiful and crazy at the same time”. 

“He was a professional soldier, but he would always say that it wasn’t important how many enemies he’d killed, but how many people he’d saved.” 

“I still can’t really believe he is dead. He was planning to stay here in Ukraine once the war was over to start a new life here.” 

Morais had previously also served in Kosovo and the Ivory Coast with the French Foreign Legion.  

Before fighting in wars, he used to work as a sales manager at the mobile firm Three.