British ex-army sniper Christopher ‘Pezz’ Perryman, 38, is killed in Ukraine after volunteering to fight Putin’s forces – as sister pays tribute to ‘true hero’
A British ex-army sniper has been killed in Ukraine after volunteering to fight for Putin’s forces, with his sister calling him “a real hero”.
Christopher “Pezz” Perryman, 38, died while on a mission after joining a unit of Western volunteers in Ukraine.
His death comes just months after he made a terrifying prediction about his fate.
Perryman posted on social media in April: “Beware of an old man in a profession where men die young.”
The father of one from Country Durham had served for 16 years in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, including tours in Kosovo and Iraq.
He made his first trip to Lviv in western Ukraine shortly after the February 24 invasion.
Christopher ‘Pezz’ Perryman, 38, died during a mission after joining a unit of Western volunteers in Ukraine
Perryman in Ukraine. He posted on social media in April: ‘Beware of an old man in a profession where men die young’
Initially he wanted to train Ukrainian troops, but he joined the frontline in the country’s southeast after a commander said they urgently needed fighters.
He was part of a unit of foreign volunteers who fought for weeks alongside troops from Ukraine to defend a crucial bridge over the southern Bug River between Odessa and Mykolaiv using British-supplied anti-tank weapons to destroy Russian armor.
He traveled to the country’s war-torn southeast to take up arms on the front lines after a local commander told him they were “desperate” for fighters. They joined a reconnaissance team and then a battalion of Marines.
Tributes poured in for the father, who is survived by his 11-year-old son.
A fellow volunteer who worked on the operation that killed Perryman told me, “Pezz is a great loss for everyone.”
His sister wrote on social media: ‘Last night our hearts were broken and our world torn apart. We lost Pezz Perryman.
‘He died a true hero, fighting a war he should never have fought. I don’t think we as a family will ever get over this. He went to Ukraine to help others, and it cost him his life.”
Another person wrote: ‘A true gentleman and without doubt the epitome of the ‘Best of British’ who fought in a foreign country for the right reasons.
‘Now an eternal hero. My deepest condolences to his close family and friends. He would give you the clothes off his back, and literally give me his bed.”
The British volunteer, originally from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, worked as a security guard and defended HS2 from eco-protesters.
But after the invasion of Ukraine, Perryman, who had previously served in Iraq, decided to quit his job and join the conflict.
Perryman in Ukraine. The father of one from Country Durham had served for 16 years in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, including tours in Kosovo and Iraq
Perryman returned to Britain in 2022 after injury, but returned to Ukraine and joined another unit of Western volunteers taking part in speedboat missions along the Dnipro River.
His team helped liberate villages held by Russia when Kherson was recaptured by Ukrainian forces.
Russian forces control territory on the eastern bank of the main Dnipro river area. The city of Kherson and Ukrainian-occupied areas on the West Bank are regularly shelled by Russian shelling and face numerous air warnings throughout the day.
When Perryman spoke to the i last year, he said he felt “in his stomach” when he saw Russian troops targeting civilians.
He said: “I always swore I would do what I could in my life to stop bullies.
‘Yes, I signed an oath of allegiance to defend the Queen and Britain, but my oath doesn’t just stop at defending my country. I signed an oath to defend the weak and the needy and those in need of help.
‘In Ukraine we fought every day for all those people who were unnecessarily murdered every day. It does give you a reason to fight harder.”
At least eleven British nationals have been killed in fighting in Ukraine.
In August, British volunteer Samuel Newey, 22, was killed fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.
His brother Daniel posted on social media: ‘My little brother Sam was killed yesterday in eastern Ukraine. I can’t put into words how broken I feel.
“Sam, you gave your life for people you never knew and acted with courage, morality and honor.”
Newey, from Solihull, had just turned 21 when he decided to fight in Ukraine.