‘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
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'.
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.'
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.
Ukrainian locals left emotional messages for Burgess at Kyiv's Maidan Square.
One of the messages read: "Thank you for protecting."
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