Russia: Putin using nuclear alert as a 'distraction' says Wallace

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Roughly 60 former Army and Special Forces soldiers are gathering to go to Ukraine to help in the fight against Vladimir Putin’s troops.

Mamuka Mamulashvili, 43, commander of the Georgian National Legion, told the MailOnline he gathered the large group of former soldiers to travel to Ukraine as soon as possible.

He said: “I have a very big group of Britons, around sixty travelling to Ukraine to join up with my Georgian National League unit.

“They are travelling by car from the UK and will cross over at the Polish border. I am expecting them here with equipment and supplies in the next few days.

“They are mostly guys who have fought with me in Ukraine before but there are also new recruits as well.

“We will provide them with training and weapons and they are coming from London and all over Britain.

“Their background is former British Army and Special Forces and they are good fighters, they can be trusted to take on the Russian aggressors and most importantly win.

“What I want to stress is that none of them are getting paid, they are not mercenaries, they are all volunteers.”

He added: “The guys from the UK are just bringing basic equipment with their uniforms and rations, they will get weapons when they arrive.

“Putin is very much mistaken if he thinks he will take Ukraine, he will face a fight to the death as the Ukrainian army has shown how brave and strong it is.

“They have experience and now they have good equipment from the rest of Europe and the world and now we have the backing of some of the best foreign volunteer soldiers in the world.

“We know some of us might die but unless we fight against Russia, Putin will just keep going and trying to take countries.

READ MORE: Ukraine army claims Russian troops ‘ready to surrender’ in Chernihiv

“When he went into Georgia in 2008 the then President of my country said Ukraine would be next and he was right.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said he does not want to see British people killed in Ukraine or joining the fight.

He told Sky News “there are better ways to help Ukraine” than volunteering as soldiers.

Mr Wallace also said on Monday fresh measures to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion are likely to be introduced in the UK.

He added the move to allow immediate family members to join Ukrainians settled in the UK is only a “first step” as Putin’s assault continued.

Mr Wallace dismissed the Russian president putting his nuclear forces on heightened alert as being part of the Kremlin’s “battle of rhetoric” rather than a real threat.

With Western sanctions biting, the Russian central bank was forced to sharply raise its key interest rate to save the rouble from collapse as the war worsened the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

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The UK Government announced the relaxation of visa rules for immediate family members of Ukrainians settled in the UK after coming under intense criticism over the weekend.

But Labour called for ministers to immediately extend the opportunity to wider relatives before setting out a “broader sanctuary route” to help other Ukrainians.

Mr Wallace said he does not doubt the UK will go further to match the “very generous” schemes which have helped in other conflicts.

“I think what I would say is, you know, our track record so far, both with Afghans and (the) Arap (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) scheme, and indeed with the Hong Kong nationals who were suffering persecution, has been actually very generous,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“So there’s no reason to doubt we won’t continue on that path.”

He said it is not yet clear whether the European Union’s approach will be to support refugees on the border, with the hope they will be able to return to Ukraine soon.

But he added that the UK response will be discussed by senior ministers on Monday.

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