‘Hero' Brit drone fighter, 33, killed defending Ukraine as grieving comrades hug flag-draped coffin in emotional funeral
Tributes are pouring in for Benjamin Leo Burgess, 33, who served on the frontline for three years and was 'killed in combat'.
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Burgess, 33, from Portsmouth was killed in the war where he had fought for three years as a volunteer
Credit: East2West
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Ukraine has paid an emotional tribute to the hero fighter
Credit: East2West
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Burgess' coffin draped with the British and Ukrainian flags
Credit: East2West
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Ukraine has paid an emotional tribute to hero British drone pilot Ben Budgie Burgess, 33, from Portsmouth, who was killed in the war where he had fought for three years as a volunteer.
Credit: East2West
Burgess, from Portsmouth, first served in Zaporizhzhia with Ukraine's artillery regiment before becoming an FPV drone pilot.
He had formerly served in the British army.
A funeral attended by 40 people, including family and friends, was held at Kyiv's main crematorium for the Brit volunteer fighter.
Russian sources had earlier claimed the Burgess, whose call sign was Budgie, had been 'eliminated'.
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He is understood to have been killed in Andreevka, in Ukraine's Sumy region.
Fellow soldiers said Burgess was a hero and was among the "best pilots we had."
Another Brit soldier - identified only by his call sign Azrael - said: 'A lot of people come to Ukraine for different reasons, but Budgie definitely came for the belief that Ukraine deserves to be free.
'And he was willing to fight for that. And he did.
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'He fought well, fought bravely, and ultimately was killed doing that.'
Azrael, from Ukraine's 78th airborne assault regiment, said Burgess' death was his biggest loss.
He added: "We were the last two foreign fighters in our regiment.
'He was my family here. I've lost many friends in this war – he's my biggest loss.'
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The "hero" fighter was given a funeral at the heart of Kyiv city.
Emotional pictures show Burgess' coffin draped with the British and Ukrainian flags.
Family and friends, as well as fellow soldiers, were seen standing together as flowers and roses were laid gently on top of his casket.
Local Ukrainians left emotional messages for Burgess at Kyiv's Maidan Square.
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One of the messages read: "Thank you for protecting."
More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
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Flowers and roses were laid gently on top of his casket
Credit: East2West
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Local Ukrainians left emotional messages for Burgess at Kyiv's Maidan Square
Credit: East2West
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Wales Online
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Asda and Tesco pull pork from 'Red Tractor' supplier after allegations
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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
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They are accepted by every reputable car hire company; if they try to convince you that you can't use it and you have to buy theirs, that is wrong. There are some very high pressure selling techniques around at the moment, trying to up-sell you various different things. You have to be strong. You don't need to take a policy out, you've taken an excess care hire policy out in the UK. You could also get yourself an annual, or even a two-week excess waiver policy from a specific company in the UK, too. Document dents The one thing you must do when they hand over the keys to the car is make sure that you take as much video and photographic evidence as possible before you leave. Very often they will give you a form where you're meant to mark little crosses where you see dents, scratches and other problems. But do take photos and videos yourself; it's much more important because it's timestamped and means you have incontrovertible evidence to counter any claims, should they come about. 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Book smart Another top tip is make sure you book your hire car with a credit card, because it will give you much more protection than a debit card. But also it means the company will take your deposit, which they hold, from your credit card rather than out your spending money. A spokesperson for Carwiz told The Sun: "At CARWIZ, we categorically distance ourselves from any suggestion that unethical or aggressive practices are in any way part of our business model. "These are isolated incidents that in no way reflect the values, standards, or expectations that we support as a global brand. "We sincerely regret that the potentially injured client did not contact us immediately after the unfortunate event, in order to immediately determine all the circumstances, because it is our goal to prevent all such and possible future unpleasant situations. "Our franchise partner in Bucharest is operating another rental brand alongside CARWIZ from the same physical location. In several cases, vehicles and services appear to have been issued under a different brand identity, while still being processed within a CARWIZ-branded environment, including signage, uniforms, and physical premises. We fully understand how, from the customer's point of view, this leads to the perception that the service is being provided directly by CARWIZ. When staff in CARWIZ uniforms hand over a vehicle from a CARWIZ-branded office, the distinction between brands is understandably blurred, even if the booking, payment, and contract technically fall under a separate company or brand entity. "We are currently conducting a formal internal review and will take the necessary measures to eliminate all forms of dual-branding at CARWIZ locations in the future. "At CARWIZ International, we continuously monitor, audit, and improve our global network to uphold the standards our brand represents. We are committed to ensuring that every customer feels respected, safe, and well-served."
Western Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Supermarkets suspend supplies from pig farm after animal cruelty reports
Tesco and Asda said they had suspended supplies from Somerby Top Farm in Lincolnshire, which is run by British meat producer Cranswick. It comes after the Mail on Sunday reported that workers would routinely 'hit pigs with boards, paddles and their fists, deliberately targeting areas such as their snout and eyes'. We were shocked by this footage, and we have immediately suspended the farm in question Tesco The newspaper added that welfare checks often ignored 'visible injuries and suffering, with one inspection of 1,000 pigs lasting just 90 seconds', as well as 'multiple botched killings of lame piglets'. Covert filming at the farm, which houses thousands of pigs, was carried out over a 10-month period by animal rights group Animal Justice Project. It was reported that some of the 'most severe abuse' was inflicted on animals two weeks after the farm was audited by food chain assurance scheme Red Tractor. Red Tractor said Somerby Top Farm's certification had been suspended with immediate effect following the 'deeply distressing' footage. It added that it had referred the case to the Government's animal welfare regulator, the Animal and Plant Health Agency. A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We take animal welfare extremely seriously and expect all our suppliers to adhere to our high welfare standards. 'We were shocked by this footage, and we have immediately suspended the farm in question. 'Our specialist agriculture team is working with the supplier to carry out a full investigation.' Asda said it had 'immediately suspended supply' from the farm after the supermarket was made aware of the claims. In a statement, Red Tractor said: 'This footage is deeply distressing. Red Tractor is taking this clear breach of animal welfare standards extremely seriously. 'The farm's Red Tractor certification has been suspended with immediate effect and a full investigation is underway. 'Red Tractor is conducting a thorough review of both current and historical footage, compliance and staffing on the farm. The farm will remain unassured if Red Tractor is not satisfied our standards are met. 'It's important to note that this footage was taken between May 2024 and January 2025, with evidence and allegations only being presented to Red Tractor in August 2025. 'This delay is concerning and suggests that these activists have prioritised ideology over protecting animal welfare. 'Red Tractor provides a free anonymous whistle-blowing service and we actively encourage anyone with concerns to raise these so that we can investigate immediately.' Cranswick's shares plummeted in May after UK supermarkets suspended supplies from another one of its farms that was linked to abuse against pigs. Covert footage appeared to show workers at Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire abusing piglets. Workers were filmed holding piglets by their hind legs and slamming them to the ground, using a banned method of killing the animals known as 'piglet thumping'. Other footage showed the botched killing of a sow that left the animal screaming and writhing in pain. A sow was also shown being beaten with metal bars. The footage was filmed by Animal Justice Project and first reported by the Mail on Sunday newspaper. In an update on Northmoor Farm, Red Tractor said: 'Following the exposure of poor welfare practices in May, Red Tractor immediately suspended the farm's certificate. 'Following a full investigation, the farm's Red Tractor certificate was reinstated provided strict conditions are met. The farm is now subject to regular unannounced spot checks, was required to immediately retrain staff in animal welfare and must share regular regulatory reports with Red Tractor. 'The farm was also required to install CCTV, and that footage is regularly reviewed by independent welfare experts. 'These terms together with independent on-going scrutiny have been fully complied with since the reinstatement. 'In addition, Red Tractor conducted an unannounced welfare spot check on Northmoor Farm on Wednesday 13th August 2025, which did not find any issues relating to Red Tractor standards.' Cranswick has been approached for comment.
