The British army has warned a “small number” of its soldiers believed to have possibly traveled to Ukraine to return to the United Kingdom immediately.
The British army spokesperson told CNN said those soldiers have disobeyed the order not to join Ukraine forces in the war against Russia.
“We are aware of a small number of individual soldiers who have disobeyed orders and gone absent without leave, and may have travelled to Ukraine in a personal capacity,” the British Army spokesperson said.
“We are actively and strongly encouraging them to return to the UK.”
In a statement on Wednesday, the UK’s Ministry of Defense warned all soldiers against travelling to Ukraine, adding that anyone who goes against the order would face the consequences of their actions.
“All Service Personnel are prohibited from travelling to Ukraine until further notice. This applies whether the Service Person is on leave or not. Personnel travelling to Ukraine will face disciplinary and administrative consequences,” the statement said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine had called upon “citizens of the world” to join the fight against Russia.
More than 20,000 volunteers and veterans from 52 countries have expressed their desire to join, according to Ukraine authorities.
