A 27-year-old former British soldier, known by the call sign Snow, lost his left leg below the knee when a Russian fibre-optic drone attacked him and two Ukrainian recruits in eastern Ukraine. Despite severe injuries, extensive surgery and periods of suicidal thoughts, he completed rehabilitation, learned to walk with a prosthesis and returned to serve near the front line, highlighting both the dangers of modern warfare and his determination to continue supporting Ukraine.

The attack occurred on 28 September last year as Snow’s group was leaving the front line; he reported the amputation, directed his men to help him and arranged his evacuation. He lost around a pint and a half of blood, suffered shrapnel wounds to his other leg and back, underwent more than 20 operations over three months, and taught himself to walk within a week of receiving his prosthesis in Kyiv. Snow, from Northamptonshire, served six years with the Royal Anglian Regiment, including in Mali, before joining Ukraine’s war effort in 2022.