A final farewell has been paid to a highly regarded British drone pilot who joined Ukraine’s fight ‘because he truly believed in freedom.’
Ben ‘Budgie’ Burgess, 33, from Portsmouth, is said to have died in combat with Vladimir Putin’s forces after serving on the frontline for three years.
The volunteer’s funeral was held at the capital’s main crematorium on Monday, with 40 family and friends in attendance, according to the Kyiv Post. British and Ukrainian flags were draped over his coffin.
The British Army veteran — full name Benjamin Leo Burgess, call sign Budgie — was ‘eliminated’ on June 20, Russian sources claim.
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A fellow British volunteer soldier – identified only by his call sign Azrael – said: ‘A lot of people come to Ukraine for different reasons, but Budgie definitely came for the belief that Ukraine deserves to be free.
‘And he was willing to fight for that. And he did.
‘He fought well, fought bravely, and ultimately was killed doing that.’
The Post reported: ‘Family, friends, and fellow soldiers stood together, some hugging his coffin as sunflowers and roses were laid gently on top.
‘The Ukrainian national anthem played as a final tribute.’
The pilot was killed in Andreevka, in the Sumy region, according to reports.
The Post said he was born in southern England in 1992 before joining Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s all-out attack in 2022.
Azrael, from Ukraine’s 78th Airborne Assault Regiment, said his comrade first served in Zaporizhzhia with the artillery, before transitioning to ‘medevacs’ in Donetsk.
He then fought as an FPV [first person view] drone pilot, which ‘became his obsession and expertise’.
‘He was among the best pilots we had,’ said his comrade.
‘He came to Ukraine because he truly believed in its freedom.
‘And he died fighting for that.’
In a reference to his British roots, a Ukrainian flag on Ben’s coffin carried the words ‘Royal Mail special delivery’ alongside a picture of a quadcopter.
Azrael added: ‘We were the last two foreign fighters in our regiment.
‘He was my family here.
‘I’ve lost many friends in this war – he’s my biggest loss.’
The British volunteer had a girlfriend in Odesa and a ‘legacy of friendship and commitment’, Azrael said.
Messages left in Maidan Square read ‘thank you for protecting’ and ‘love you brother, until we meet again.’ Others read ‘Ben was a true Cossack’ and ‘forever in my mind, heart, and soul.’
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