Mum concerned after teen with no military experience leaves family to fight in Ukraine

A ‘video game obsessed’ teenager with no military experience has signed up to the Ukrainian Army and crossed the border to fight against Russia.

Nineteen-year-old Jamie, from Warrington, had never left the country before and does not speak Ukrainian or Polish.

However, he is believed to have been enticed to fight by members of online forums and comments made by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who said she would ‘absolutely’ support British citizens going to Ukraine to fight Russian forces.

He boarded a flight from Manchester to Warsaw, Poland, early on Saturday, March 5th.

Jamie’s mother, who does not want to be named, has since spoken of her desperation to get her son back, saying she believes he emailed a website to volunteer before booking a one-way ticket, travelling on a child’s passport.

ITV Granada Reports

She said her son was an avid Call Of Duty gamer, and had only completed one year of Army Cadets when he was at school.

According to his mother, Jamie signed a contract with the Ukrainian forces for at least two years with no background checks, mental health checks or vetting.

Speaking to ITV Granada Reports, she said of the family’s turmoil: “Every day you’re just waiting, I’m constantly on my laptop, on my phone, just checking. It’s taken over my life and I’ve got other kids as well and I explained it to my husband, it feels like I’ve split myself in two.

“I am now two people, I am a mum to Jamie and a mum to my other two kids. For Jamie I am panicking constantly, constantly trying to find out where he is located, to know he’s safe.”

ITV Granada Reports

His mother said Jamie first started showing interest in Ukraine a few days after Russia’s invasion, noting how he was ‘constantly asking questions’ and watching YouTube videos on the crisis.

But it was only until he got up and left that his family became aware of the extent of his interest. She explained: “On his YouTube account there was a lot of news, other reports from different other news places, just people uploading videos of people already going over there, to fight and to help the refugees.

“He’s a typical lad, he goes into his room, he’s been there watching all of these, then going to work, then coming home, watching them again, watching Zelenskyy when he’s been on telly, watching the Prime Minister, watching Liz Truss when she’s said she would back them going over there.

“I think that has been one of the main reasons, the fact that it’s been promoted, it’s showing it’s a good thing to go and help them, when it’s not for a lad like him.”

ITV Granada Reports

It has since emerged that Jamie contacted a London-based organisation to sign up, writing: “Hello, I am here to sign up to help Ukraine fight off Russia. I was told to email you to get more information.”

It is believed that Jamie met up with others wanting to fight upon landing in Warsaw before crossing the border on the morning of Monday, March 7th.

Twenty-four-hours after leaving his home, Jamie reached out to his family to confirm that he had signed up, explaining that while he won’t be contactable he will ‘send a message every morning saying I’m alive and healthy’.

His mother said she can understand why he wanted to help, but that he does not understand the repercussions of his actions.

She said: “He thinks he is an adult but he’s not, he definitely isn’t an adult. The way he thinks is immature, it’s immature thinking the way he thinks, he doesn’t realise the severity of something like this.”