In Soledar, Russians and Ukrainians have fought bitterly in recent days. That does not seem to have deterred New Zealander Andrew Bagshaw (48) and Briton Christopher Parry (28).
On Friday, the two volunteers would have entered the city. Since then there has been no trace of them. They were reported missing in nearby Bachmut on Saturday. Bagshaw and Parry helped evacuate people from the front lines of the war, the BBC reports.
Now the families of the two young men tremble before them. Because: On Tuesday evening, the Wagner mercenaries announced the capture of Soledar.
Bagshaw and Parry helped the elderly and disabled escape
Christopher Parry’s family describes him as an extraordinary person who is “compassionate and caring”. He was not deterred from his work in Ukraine and rescuing the elderly and disabled. They emphasized that they “all love Parry very much” and are “very proud” of him.
In an interview with the BBC over Christmas, Parry emphasized his “urge to help”. He told of continuous bombing and a drone coming within ten meters of him.
Delivery of groceries and medicines
Andrew Bagshaw’s family also spoke out. She lives in New Zealand. The 48-year-old is a “highly intelligent, independent-minded person”. In a statement to the New Zealand media, Philip and Sue Bagshaw, both 73, describe their son’s work. He delivered groceries and medicines.
They also confirmed that he helped elderly people flee the front lines. They told Radio New Zealand that he volunteered in Ukraine because it was the morally right thing for him to do.
Were the two men captured by the Russians?
The search for the two men is difficult, also because there is no electricity or mobile phone reception in the region. Grzegorz Rybak, 45, who has worked with Bagshaw in Ukraine, told New Zealand radio that those looking for Bagshaw were physically and emotionally exhausted but would continue to search as best they could. “The police are looking for him, the army is looking for him, he has gained a lot of respect,” Rybak said.
The translator added that Bagshaw showed humanity at the highest level through his work in Bachmut. While Rybak does not know what happened to Bagshaw, he suspects that if the New Zealander is still alive, he is probably in Russian hands.
Former New Zealand defense minister Wayne Mapp said the British government, which has a much stronger diplomatic presence in the region, is doing everything it can to work with the Ukrainians and aid agencies to locate Bagshaw. The British Foreign Office has again asked all British nationals still in Ukraine to leave the country. There is a “real danger to life”.