"I am Sheffield born and bred, but I'm going to Ukraine to fight on the frontline"
A 24-year-old Sheffield man will soon fly off to fight against Russian troops on the front line in Ukraine.
Harri Green will voluntarily join the Third Assault Brigade in the Ukrainian military in February as the country continues its efforts to repel Russian forces.
He said: “For me personally, I believe the Ukrainian’s freedom and democracy will be taken away.
“I’m British-born with no military training at all. A Sheffield lad through-and-through... There’s plenty of people who say they would go to war, but there aren’t enough who will actually step up and do it.
“At the end of the day, we are all people. At the end of the day, we live in a first world country and we don’t wake up in the middle of the night to an explosion and half of the house is gone.
“I will be on the front lines and will be with a unit call 3AB, part of the Azov Brigade in frontline battle. It will be entirely British volunteer soldiers.
“We do three-to-six weeks of training... I know the risks, but it’s something I’m willing to do for other people.”
The chef and caterer, who was born and raised in Sheffield, now lives in Eckington with his partner, who he said “understands” why he feels he needs to go.
He added: “I’m not guaranteed to get in. You have to do a medical and heart conditions stuff and then after that you are through into basic training.”
If he passes basic training, Harri, who works at The Barley in Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham, will be made a temporary Ukrainian citizen, bypassing visa rules and allowing him to stay in the country to fight.
“I’m excited and nervous,” he finished. “It’s a new adventure and experience.”