Russia urges UK to disclose what soldier killed in Ukraine was doing, accuses London of wider role

MOSCOW, Dec 11 (Reuters) – Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Britain should explain what a British soldier killed in Ukraine on Tuesday was actually doing there and accused London of helping Kiev carry out “terrorist acts”.

The soldier, Lance Corporal George Hooley, died in Ukraine while observing Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability away from the frontline, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.

Britain, one of the leading nations in the so-called ‘Coalition of the Volunteers’, has repeatedly said it supports sending a multinational force to Ukraine once a ceasefire or peace agreement is agreed; Russia warned against this possible deployment.

“London must honestly admit what its own Hooleys are doing there. It seems that someone in Britain may have begun to carefully prepare public opinion in their own country for military losses in Ukraine, which is simply impossible to hide and continue to hide,” Zakharova said.

He said the British government should not deceive its citizens by claiming that British soldiers sent to Ukraine were merely advisors or instructors, and accused British forces of helping Kiev “carry out terrorist attacks and extremist missions” on direct orders from London.

Zakharova, who said Russia would consider any foreign military unit in Ukraine as a legitimate target, did not provide evidence to support her claims about wider British intervention.

The British government, one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, has never confirmed how many service personnel are in Ukraine, but the BBC reported that a small contingent was supporting Ukrainian forces and ensuring the security of diplomatic staff.

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, Editing by Andrew Osborn)