Body found in search for missing ex-British soldier Daniel Burke fighting in Ukraine
A body has been found in the search for a former British soldier who went missing during fighting in Ukraine.
Former paratrooper Daniel Burke, 36, from south Manchester, was reported missing by his family on August 16 after traveling to join the fighting in 2022.
Greater Manchester Police said on Saturday that officers were working with Mr Burke’s family and Ukrainian authorities to identify the body found and bring him back to the UK.
Mr Burke’s mother, Diane Sniath, told the BBC that “this is the moment I have been dreading”.
His family told the station that the body had been found Zaporizhiawhich is approximately 27 miles from the front line.
Last week Ms Sniath Burke told the Manchester Evening News that Ukrainian police had searched his flat in Zaporizhzhia and found it empty, with no signs of break-in and with the door triple locked.
She said authorities in Ukraine used video surveillance to track his movements on Aug. 11, when he was last seen, and when she last spoke to him he “sounded in good spirits.”
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, GMP lead for disaster victim identification, said of the body discovery on Saturday: “This is a worrying time for Daniel’s family. We have family liaison officers who liaise with the family and offer support.
“My team and I are working with the Ukrainian authorities to carry out formal identification so that Daniel can be repatriated following this process.
“Daniel’s family has requested privacy during this difficult time.”
Mr Burke, who previously served with the Parachute Regiment, told the BBC on August 6 that he planned to join a Ukrainian army unit to fight against Russian forces.
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
In 2019, he served eight months in prison for terror crimes after traveling to Syria to fight with Kurdish militias against the Islamic State group. The charges were dropped in 2020, the BBC reported.
At least 10 more British men have died in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began last February, according to the Foreign Office.
Last week tributes were paid to former Scotland guard Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley, who left the UK in early October 2022 to travel to the country to “support freedom”.
And in August, 22-year-old Sam Newey died on Wednesday while serving on the front lines in eastern Ukraine, according to his brother, who said he was “proud” of his sibling.