A Tory MP who lost his Westminster seat in the general election last year is now serving in the Ukrainian military.
Jack Lopresti was the MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, in South Gloucestershire, until Labour’s Claire Hazelgrove secured victory in 2024.
Mr Lopresti, 55, said on social media he was now volunteering for the International Legion of Ukraine, Defence Intelligence.
“It’s a huge honour and an immense privilege for me to serve in the Ukrainian military and be able to help the gallant and amazing Ukrainian people in any way I can,” he said.
Mr Lopresti previously served in the UK Army Reserve as a corporal, and said he was focusing on charity work in the country, supporting veterans, foreign relations and diplomacy and weapons procurement – as well as military duties.
It will be three years since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his army to invade neighbouring Ukraine on 24 February.
Putin said Russia was intervening as an act of self-defence. Russia did not want to occupy Ukraine, he said, but would demilitarise and “de-Nazify” the country.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in December about 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the invasion began.
He said: “They are not only fighting for their freedom and their right to exist as a independent and sovereign nation, they are also fighting for all of us, in Europe and the rest of the free world.
“If Putin wins in Ukraine we all know he won’t stop there.
“Dictators have to be defeated, or they never stop. The ramifications would also be enormous for the rest of the world, particularly in places like Taiwan.
“With the authoritarian axis of dictatorships, China, Iran, and North Korea on the march and clearly working together, Ukraine has to be supported and given the tools to win for all of our sakes.”
In a statement, Mr Lopresti said he had joined a cross party UK Parliamentary delegation last week which had visited rehab centres, charities and military leaders.
