Two British volunteer fighters in Ukraine may have been murdered by fellow ‘foreign
Two British volunteer fighters who fought in Ukraine are feared to have been murdered by their fellow foreign legion comrades following alleged disputes over money and petty arguments, it has emerged.
Daniel Burke, a former paratrooper who went to fight in Ukraine as a volunteer last year, vanished from his flat in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on August 11 and hasn’t been seen since.
There are now fears that the 36-year-old could have been killed not by Russian soldiers, but by his fellow foreign legion fighters because of reported disputes and jealousy over the amount of money he was receiving in donations.
As Ukrainian police comb the fields of Komyshuvakha village on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia for any sign of Burke’s body, cops further east are investigating the death of former British soldier Jordan Chadwick, 31, near Bakhmut.
Chadwick, a former Scots Guard from Burnley, Lancashire, who also volunteered to fight for Ukraine, was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back in June.
A source told the Daily Telegraph that Chadwick had been shot during a petty argument that got out of hand, raising further mystery surrounding his death.
Daniel Burke (pictured), a former paratrooper who went to fight in Ukraine as a volunteer last year, vanished from his flat in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on August 11 and hasn’t been seen since
Jordan Chadwick (pictured), a former Scots Guard from Burnley who also volunteered to fight for Ukraine, was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back in June.
The two cases involving Burke and Chadwick are not thought to be linked, but they have raised fears among fellow comrades that they may have been murdered by fellow foreign legion fighters.
Ukrainian police, already struggling with a heavy caseload since the war began, are now investigating claims that Burke could have been killed following disputes over money.
Burke, who had served in Afghanistan with the British army before fighting against ISIS with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, had travelled to Ukraine to fight as a volunteer last year.
He had told fellow fighters that he was receiving £8,000 a month from American millionaires in donations thanks to his public profile – and there are fears this could have sparked envy among the troops.
Police are also analysing CCTV footage of Burke’s movements in a car that his friend, Australian volunteer Norine Abdelfetah, had lent him on the day he disappeared.
Abdelfetah told police he had dropped Burke off at his apartment on August 11 and had lent the Briton his car for the weekend after he complained about having food poisoning, reports the Telegraph.
The Australian said there was no sign of Burke when he came to collect the car two days later, and a day later, Adbelfetah’s colleage, James Sutton, told police.
While a source told the Telegraph that in Chadwick’s case, there are fears he was shot during a petty argument, there is further speculation that he may have drowned in an initiation ceremony gone wrong.
Chadwick’s death only emerged last week when his mother, Brenda Chadwick, told the BBC she was ‘devastated’ by the death of her son, who served in the Scots Guards from 2011 to 2015 (pictured)
Daniel Burke set up his own volunteer unit in Ukraine called the Dark Angels (pictured)
A YouTube channel has claimed the ceremony was devised by a fellow volunteer who used to be in the SAS and said the water found in his lungs did not match the water where he was found according to forensic examinations.
Chadwick’s death only emerged last week when his mother, Brenda Chadwick, told the BBC she was ‘devastated’ by the death of her son, who served in the Scots Guards from 2011 to 2015.
‘His passion to support freedom and assist others with his skills led him to leave the UK and travel to Ukraine in early October 2022,’ Brenda said.
‘Although we are extremely proud of his unwavering courage and resilience, his death has been devastating. No words can be found to describe the loss of such a short life.
‘A son, brother, grandson, nephew and uncle, who was loved immensely.’
The speculation that Burke and Chadwick may have been killed by their fellow foreign legion fighters exposes the dark side of the voluntary service fighting in Ukraine, with volunteers complaining there is very little vetting done.
‘There are guys who shouldn’t be here – some with criminal records, some with PTSD, and some with drug and alcohol problems or who use steroids,’ one volunteer told the paper.
The UK’s Foreign Office declined to comment on the lines of inquiry currently being investigated in relation to Burke and Chadwick’s cases.