Ben Burgess came to Ukraine believing the country deserved freedom. He died fighting for it.

The 33-year-old former British Army soldier was killed 20 June while operating drones in Andriivka, a contested village in northern Sumy Oblast just three miles from Russia’s border, where Russian forces are actively advancing. Local reports confirmed his death during combat operations with the 78th Air Assault Regiment.

How did a Portsmouth native end up flying military drones in Ukraine’s most dangerous zones?

Burgess, known by his call sign “Budgie,” volunteered in 2022 when Russia’s full-scale invasion began. He started with artillery units in Zaporizhzhia before moving to medical evacuations in Donetsk—work that meant retrieving wounded soldiers under fire, the Telegraph reports.

But drones became his specialty. First-person-view (FPV) drones, specifically—the kind that require split-second decisions and nerves most people don’t possess.

“He was among the best pilots we had,” said his fellow soldier “Azrael,” one of the last foreign fighters in their regiment. “He came to Ukraine because he truly believed in its freedom. And he died fighting for that.”

I’ve lost many friends in this war—he’s my biggest loss

Forty people gathered at Kyiv’s main crematorium 30 June to say goodbye, according to Kyiv Post. Mourners laid sunflowers and roses on his coffin as Ukraine’s national anthem played. Later, they planted a flag in his honor at Maidan Square among hundreds of other memorials.

The messages left on his flag tell the story: “Thank you for protecting.” “Love you brother, until we meet again.” “Ben was a true Cossack.”

Burgess left behind a girlfriend in Odesa but no children. For his friend Azrael, the loss cuts deeper than professional respect.

“We were the last two foreign fighters in our regiment,” he said. “He was my family here. I’ve lost many friends in this war—he’s my biggest loss.”

A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed Britain is supporting Burgess’s family and coordinating with Ukrainian authorities.