Latest news with #Izyum
News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Memorial service to be held for Nicholas Parsons who was killed volunteering in Ukraine
A memorial service for an Australian who died volunteering with a humanitarian and mine clearance charity in Ukraine will be held this week. Nicholas Parsons, 28, was working in the country's war-torn east with Prevail Together, a US and UK-based group that sends volunteers into Ukraine. He was killed alongside the charity's co-founder Chris Garrett, as well as another team member who was severely injured in an incident near Izyum on May 6. Mr Parsons heartbroken friends have been raising money to help his family 'give him the send off he deserves' at a service in Townsville on Thursday. Lachie Romer organised the fundraiser, which has seen people donate more than $22,000, saying on the tribute page they had lost their beautiful mate far too soon. 'It still doesn't feel real, and it's hard to find the right words to say,' he said. 'Nic was one of those people you just loved being around — always up for a laugh, always there when you needed him, and someone who made life better just by being in it. 'Let's come together and do this for Nic — for the good times, the laughs, and the memories we'll never forget. Rest easy, legend. We'll miss you forever.' A funeral will be held for Mr Parsons at the Morley Funeral Home, followed by a wake at the Townsville RSL.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Chris Garrett: Bomb expert killed in Ukraine to be repatriated to Isle of Man
The body of a bomb disposal specialist who was killed in Ukraine is due to be repatriated to the Isle of Man Garrett died in an incident in Izyum, in the east of the country, on 6 40-year-old was volunteering with the Ukraine National Guard, after previously helping in the country in both 2014 and 2017. He returned again when war broke out in February a cavalcade to escort Mr Garrett to his home town of Peel, veteran Jim Quinn said: "It was the very least we could do to bring this hero home to his family. Taking him down through his home town one last time is a privilege and an honour." Mr Garrett had been working to clear mines and train Ukrainian troops after co-founding a humanitarian and mine clearance charity called Prevail Together. 'An honour' Mr Quinn served in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army for 14 years, including tours of Bosnia and said: "The respect and admiration that Chris has out in Ukraine is mirrored here within both the Ukrainian community and the Manx community."The veteran first met the bomb disposal specialist in 2014, later joining him in Ukraine for two missions delivering humanitarian aid in Garrett's remains will be met with a guard of honour, with members of his family also Moddey Dhoo Motorcycle Club will then lead the cavalcade from Ballasalla to Peel on the west coast of the Brian Corrie said: "It's an honour to be able to do something to help the family."He added that one of their members also served in Ukraine with Mr Garrett, and he would be among those taking convoy is due to leave at 15:30 BST. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE British bomb disposal expert killed dismantling Russian mines in Ukraine 'saved thousands of lives'
The heartbroken mother of a British hero who was killed dismantling Russian mines in Ukraine has paid tribute to her 'modest' son who saved thousands of lives. Brave Christopher Garrett - known to friends as Chris or 'Swampy - died in an explosion on Tuesday while working on the frontline Izyum, near Kharkiv. The father-of-one, 40, had worked tirelessly in the region since war broke out in Crimea in 2014, before returning to the frontline once again when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022. Speaking from her home in Peel on the Isle of Man, his mother Hazel, 70, told MailOnline she would be 'forever proud' of the work her former tree-surgeon son carried out across the war-torn nation. She said: 'I feel so proud of him. He was always very loving and always an adventurer. 'He studied everything about mines and worked so hard to pass on the information on to so many people that he will have saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives. 'Thousands of people in Ukraine are now living because of him and that is what he will be remembered for.' As well as his mother and her partner Dave, Mr Garrett leaves behind his partner Courtney Pollock and their daughter Reed, who is just 18-months-old. Mr Garrett and Miss Pollock founded the charity Prevail Together, alongside a group of military and humanitarian experts from across the world. The group works relentlessly in a bid to dispose of explosives in Ukraine, which is now thought to be the most heavily mined region in the world, with potentially 23 per cent of the land contaminated. For many, simply entering the frontline would be a daunting experience - let alone disposing of explosives. But Mr Garrett, who risked his life every day volunteering, tried not to worry about the dangers surrounding him and simply referred to himself as an 'explosive bin man'. 'To be honest I don't really think about it. I wake up in the morning, have my cigarette and coffee and just get on with it,' he told iNews after the war broke out. In fact, Mr Garrett never thought of himself as a hero, according to his close friend Karolina Davison told MailOnline. Mrs Davison, who grew up in Ukraine before moving to the Isle of Man where Mr Garrett lived, said: 'He is such an honourable and humble person. He never admitted that he was a hero and he never thought of himself as one. 'The world has lost a person who has sacrificed his life for the thousands of lives he has saved by training people in Ukraine to dispose of explosives. 'They were risking their lives every day and every day he knew it could be his last one but he persevered and did what he loved to make a difference every day of his life. He has left such a void that cannot be filled for the many people who got to know him.' Mr Garrett, who was taught how to clear mines in south-east Asia, was one of the first into the massacred towns of Bucha and Irpin at the start of the war as well as working tirelessly in the Hostomel Airport battle. His mother, however, initially did not know her 'fabulous and loveable' son, was amongst those on the frontline. Mrs Garrett added: 'Initially, I did not know he was planning to go there, and I thought he was travelling elsewhere - then I got a phone call saying 'mum, I am not where you think I am'. 'I was nervous when he went and I initially did not understand it. I didn't really understand what he was doing or where it had all started. 'But helping others has always been a part of him and what he wanted to do. There was always this side to him, which is why he ended up doing what he was doing.' As a young boy, who was adopted by Mrs Garrett and her husband when he was two-years-old, he spent most of his childhood days outdoors, playing cricket or enjoying his favourite pastime, fishing. A 'loveable' child, his teachers were often in 'awe of him', his mother explained. His love of travel, music and adventure kicked in during his teenage years. By chance on his way to join a badminton club, he stumbled across the Army Cadets where he started to learn the basics of his trade. Mr Garrett, his mother said, was always a NOMAD and enjoyed living 'rustic' living in the back of a van or camping with friends. After a brief stint in the army, he went on to work on fishing boats, before becoming a tree surgeon and later - as he will be remembered - as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician. It was during the Ukraine war that he met his partner and mother of his child, Miss Pollock, an American paramedic, firefighter and pilot. In November 2023, their daughter Reed was born in Utah and while most new parents spend the first few months of their child's life sleep deprived, the pair continued their hard work establishing Prevail Together. The charity, whose board members include former British soldier and Ukraine war prisoner Shaun Pinner, officially launched in July 2023. 'It was their dream to set up this charity because Christopher knew this would be a job for life and they would have been able to continue their work helping others,' Mrs Garrett added. 'They probably would have lived in Ukraine, I think they would have eventually moved there permanently.' The group has several functions including land mine clearances, offering medical support and EOD training. Mr Garrett, who was sentenced to 14 and a half years in jail by a Russian proxy court in Donets earlier this year, said his role in the charity was 'preserving life, not taking it'. The tragic news of Mr Garrett's death was announced by his friend and colleague Mr Pinner earlier this week. Paying tribute to Mr Garrett he told Manx Radio Station: 'He dedicated so much of his life to clearing mines, and mine awareness. It really is what he was all about. 'Chris loved the people, the country, the culture, and really was against the injustices that Russia is committing here. 'That old saying; 'you fight not for the enemy in front but for the love behind' - that was endemic of his spirit, really.' The British and Ukranian military are currently working to help bring Mr Garrett back to his home on the Isle of Man so his family can arrange his funeral. More than £16,000 has already been raised in a fundraiser to help bring Mr Garrett, who served in the British army briefly as a teenager, back. Any additional funds raised from the GoFundMe will be given to help support his partner and their child.
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- News.com.au
Tragic last messages from Aussie tradie feared dead in Ukraine
A Queensland tradie feared dead after fighting for Ukraine told his family he was overseas studying in Germany when he had returned to the frontline, according to his final messages sent before he went missing. Caleb List, 25, was reported missing last month after his unit came under artillery fire near the city of Izyum, in the Kharkiv region, which has been regularly bombarded by Russia since it launched its invasion three years ago. A Ukrainian military source said it was 'unlikely' Mr List was alive and that it was 'almost impossible' to retrieve a body in the area at the moment. Ukrainian officials told NewsWire they could not comment on Mr List's fate without a body. Mr List, who always wanted to be a soldier and was working at Queensland's Yarwun refinery before leaving for Ukraine, said he joined the Ukrainian war effort after being knocked back by the Australian Defence Force. In encrypted messages sent in March weeks before he was reported missing, the 25-year-old – who would spend his time in Ukraine fighting on the frontline and then moving to the backline in a repeating 'cycle' – told the Daily Mail his family did not know he had returned to combat and was fighting on the front. 'I went back to the front again. I have some more scars, but I'm good living the dream,' he wrote. 'At the moment my parents think that I am studying over in Germany. 'I will tell them soon. But at the moment there are bigger family problems to deal with than my choice in profession.' According to the publication, Mr List was taking part in his third stint of the job at the time of the messages. The tradie said he was earning $3,900 per month with a 'combat bonus' of $2,698 for every 30 days spent on the frontline. Mr List said he planned to stay in Ukraine until he was 'ready to leave'. 'Why I'm still here? It is not a fully easy question to answer,' he wrote. 'There are several things that make me stay here and choose to continue to serve under the Ukrainian Army. 'But it seems quite selfish to leave all my Ukrainian friends behind to deal with a war.' In other messages, the tradie claimed living in a war zone was 'not as crazy as most people think'. 'There are scary moments and bad thing happen around Ukraine every day, but it's a normal country and it still has to operate like one. 'The only thing is there's a giant war in the background.' Mr List told SBS in 2023 that he had previously 'tried a couple of attempts' to join the Australian Defence Force. 'For obvious reasons, I got rejected – just a bit young and dumb, made some bad choices,' he said. 'I wanted something new … I was sick of the job, I was sick of just being a labourer.' Mr List also told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle he wanted to 'push myself to the extreme'. 'Deeply troubling' Anthony Albanese said reports of Mr List's disappearance were 'deeply troubling' and urged Australians not to travel to Ukraine. 'My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the gentlemen concerned,' the Prime Minister said on Wednesday. 'DFAT are working in the way that they do to make sure the proper notifications are occurring.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong would not confirm on Wednesday what Australian officials knew about Mr List's status, citing privacy reasons. 'I'm always constrained in terms of these matters as a result of privacy,' she told the ABC. 'But, I would just simply say that this is a very dangerous place to be and … we are assisting, providing consular assistance to a family in relation to this matter.' Senator Wong said she did not know how many Australians were in Ukraine. 'I don't have numbers on that,' she said. 'But I would say to people, I would strongly discourage that. We have a do-not-travel arrangement with Ukraine. 'I understand people feel strongly about this conflict, but this is not something the government would be supporting – that is, Australians joining fighting in Ukraine.' Another Australian killed in Ukraine Earlier this week, authorities confirmed another Australian, Nick Parsons, had been killed in the same area. Mr Parsons, a former Australian soldier, was working for landmine clearance non-profit Prevail Together. The Prime Minister publicly expressed his 'deepest condolences and sympathies' to Mr Parsons' family at a press conference on Monday. 'I can confirm he wasn't a participant in the conflict, he was volunteering with a humanitarian organisation,' he said. 'I do want to remind Australians that Ukraine is a do not travel zone. The situation is extremely dangerous and we continue to strongly advise all Australians not to travel to Ukraine, under any circumstances.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Read the tragic last messages from the Aussie tradie feared dead in in Ukraine - and the little white lies he told his parents to stop them worrying
An Australian tradie feared killed by Russian forces had told his family he was studying at a German university while actually fighting on the frontline in Ukraine. Queenslander Caleb List opened up in a series of haunting messages to Daily Mail Australia in the months before he vanished and is now feared dead. He had been serving in the Ukrainian army since 2022 after he had been rejected from joining the Australian military, he said. The 25-year-old from Gladstone is believed to have died last month after being hit by artillery fire in a contested territory near the city of Izyum, in the Kharkiv region. Since enlisting, Mr List had sent encrypted messages from Ukraine's trenches to Daily Mail Australia journalist Jonica Bray to give updates on his time in the war-ravaged country. In them, he revealed the real reason he was risking his life to fight for Ukraine, why he was a prized target for Russia, and why he kept it all secret from his parents. 'It's not as crazy as most people think,' he said about what day-to-day was like in a warzone that's seen almost one million killed or wounded. 'There are scary moments and bad thing happen around Ukraine every day, but it's a normal country and it still has to operate like one. 'The only thing is there's a giant war in the background.' Thousands of foreign fighters like Mr List had signed up to help defend Ukraine, despite warnings from their governments, including Australia, not to travel there. The Aussie tradie spent anywhere from days to weeks in the trenches where he was heavily armed, alongside both local soldiers and other foreign legion members of the army. 'It could be quiet. We could get bombed or the trench could get assaulted,' he said. 'Then I come home to the back lines, I do some training, eat some food, work on hobbies, call and message family, friends and other loved ones. 'Kind of like what normal people do on their weekends. Then, the cycle repeats itself.' He said he volunteered to defend Ukraine - which he'd never visited previously - after being shunned by the Australian Defence Force. Despite that setback, Mr List decided to head to Europe in 2022 to fulfill his lifelong dream of one day becoming a soldier and see military action. His initial plan was to join the French Foreign Legion, but while on his way to France to sign up, Russia invaded Ukraine, and his whole life changed. While on a drunken binge in Poland, Mr List crossed the border where he spotted a tent with the sign 'Legionnaire.' He enrolled and then admitted he blacked out in a drunken stupor for the rest of the day. That night the entire base was blown up in an artillery attack and Mr List and others had to flee into the neighbouring forest to take cover. After about a month of basic training, he was transferred to the frontline, but kept the news from his family. Mr List said he used various encrypted apps to communicate because he believed that as an Australian, he had a bounty on his head. 'It puts my life in danger if they know where I am,' he said. 'I just become a target on pro-Russian Telegram [messaging apps] groups.' Mr List's last messages were received in March, just a few weeks before he is believed to have been killed in April. In those messages, Mr List revealed his parents still did not know he was back in combat. 'I went back to the front again. I have some more scars, but I'm good living the dream,' he said. 'At the moment my parents think that I am studying over in Germany. 'I will tell them soon. But at the moment there are bigger family problems to deal with than my choice in profession.' It's believed this was Mr List's third stint in a job that he insisted 'pays well' at $3.900 per month with a 'combat bonus' of $2,698 for every 30 days you are on the frontline. 'That's triple the average Ukrainian wage,' he said. With no family connections, heritage or affiliations with the Ukraine, Mr List said he was used to people asking him why he's there, but after three years he was still unsure how to reply. 'Why I'm still here? It is not a fully easy question to answer,' he admitted to Daily Mail Australia. 'There are several things that make me stay here and choose to continue to serve under the Ukrainian Army. 'But it seems quite selfish to leave all my Ukrainian friends behind to deal with a war. 'I'll stay until I'm ready to leave.' Mr List's uncle Michael Connolly spoke to media on Thursday and said the family is devastated by news of his likely death, but had not yet given up all hope. 'We're all in a bit of shock and we all are waiting on news to come out of the area,' Mr Connolly said.
