In the war-torn fields near Komyshuvakha, a village near Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, a search for a British man’s body is underway. Daniel Burke, a former Para who volunteered to fight in Ukraine, vanished from his flat in Zaporizhzia in early August, and the circumstances suggest he may not have died in combat. There was no evidence of robbery at his flat, and with no sightings of him since, friends and family fear the worst.
However, Mr. Burke is not the only Briton on the Ukrainian police’s missing persons list. In a separate case near Bakhmut, the body of another volunteer, Jordan Chadwick, a former Scots Guard from Burnley, was recovered from a body of water. Chadwick, 31, had his hands tied behind his back.
Comrades suspect that both men may have been killed not by the Russians they came to fight but by fellow foreign volunteers. Police are investigating claims of a dispute over money and vehicles in Mr. Burke’s case, while reports suggest that Chadwick was killed during a petty argument or a military initiation ceremony gone wrong.
Ukrainian investigators and Britain’s Embassy in Kyiv have not commented on the cases. Still, within the community of British military volunteers in Ukraine, there is widespread speculation that the two men fell victim to foul play.
While these allegations may or may not be accurate, they expose a dark side of life among volunteers, where some individuals with questionable backgrounds and motives end up participating. Vetting for service in Ukraine is reportedly minimal, allowing some unsuitable individuals to join the ranks.
Adam Holloway, a Conservative MP and former Grenadier Guardsman, met Mr. Burke in Ukraine last year and raised his case during a recent visit to Kyiv. Holloway acknowledges that while many volunteers are brave and noble, conflicts can attract individuals with psychiatric problems and a desire for violence, creating a rough and potentially dangerous atmosphere.
Mr. Burke, 36, had served in Afghanistan, fought alongside Western-backed Kurdish anti-ISIS forces in Syria, and later formed his own volunteer unit in Ukraine, known as the Dark Angels. He transitioned to front-line evacuation work, citing the stress of commanding other volunteers.
The circumstances surrounding Mr. Burke’s disappearance remain mysterious. He was last seen in early August when an Australian fellow volunteer, Nourine “Adam” Abdelfetah, dropped him off at his apartment. Mr. Burke reportedly complained of food poisoning and lent Abdelfetah his vehicle for the weekend. However, when Abdelfetah went to return the vehicle, Mr. Burke was nowhere to be found.
Friends of Mr. Burke have pointed fingers at Abdelfetah and another volunteer, James Sutton, claiming a falling-out over money and vehicles. The pair insists they have cooperated with police and rejects the online conspiracy theories.
As for Jordan Chadwick, he was reportedly serving with the 50/50 Squad, a reconnaissance unit. Forensic examinations raised questions about his cause of death, with suggestions that he may have drowned during a “selection” test or been shot during a heated argument.
The Foreign Office declined to comment on the ongoing investigations or whether other volunteers were considered suspects. It continues to warn against travel to Ukraine due to the high risks involved.