Former British soldier from Wrexham killed in missile strike in Ukraine

Ryan Evans, who has worked with the Reuters news agency since 2022, was killed by a Russian missile in its ongoing war with Ukraine

A former British soldier from Wrexham, who was working with the news agency Reuters to cover the war in Ukraine, has been killed in a strike in the city of Kramatorsk.

Ryan Evans, 38, was working as a safety adviser and had been with Reuters since 2022. He was killed after a missile struck the Hotel Sapphire where he was staying with colleagues.

The news organisation say two journalists who were working for them were being treated in hospital, with one of them being seriously injured.

In a statement, Reuters have said: "We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones.

"Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly.

“We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, including by working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the hotel had been destroyed by a Russian Iskander missile. Credit: PA

On social media, Mr Evans' wife Anne Evans paid tribute to her "gentle giant."

"As some of you may know already, Ryan sadly passed away on Saturday, 24th August. I can’t even begin to explain how much that man meant to me, how much I adored him with every part of me.

"He was my best friend and my soul mate, my everything. We used to laugh and joke about how he came into my life as a Knight in battered armour, because let’s face it, he was in shiny armour once, but he had been through more battles then I can even count.

"He was such a gentle giant. If anyone needed anything ever he was there, he would always put others first and himself second."

In the post Mrs Evans said that Mr Evans leave behind his 18 month old son, Logan and his three other children Tristan, Felicity and Harrison.

Mrs Evans added that "Ryan Don Evans, you are the love of my life, my everything, and I will miss you and love you - ALWAYS."

The Foreign Secretary has condemned the strikes and the actions of the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Chris Evans, a former teacher of Mr Evans when he was at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, has paid tribute to him.

"I remember Ryan as a real ‘charmer’ who was very popular with both pupils and staff. We’re shocked and saddened by this terrible news and express our deepest sympathy to his family”.

The Foreign Secretary David Lammy has also offered his condolences to Mr Evans’s family and condemned the “cowardly” tactics used by Vladimir Putin’s Russia against Ukraine.

Mr Lammy also criticised a wave of Russian strikes on Monday which targeted infrastructure across Ukraine.

“The UK utterly condemns Russia’s cowardly missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine today,” he said.

“These assaults are in flagrant violation of international law and those responsible must be brought to justice.”

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