A British explosives technician, Christopher Garrett, was killed earlier this week while clearing Russian mines near Izyum, close to Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. Garrett, 40, died in an explosion while volunteering with a demining charity in one of the world’s most heavily mined regions, as reported by The Daily Mail.
Garrett, originally from the Isle of Man, was a co-founder of Prevail Together, a demining and humanitarian aid group formed in 2023.
The group includes former military personnel and emergency responders and focuses on explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), medical support, and training local teams.
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British citizen and international volunteer in Ukraine, Christopher “Swampy” Garrett, was killed while clearing a minefield left behind during Russia’s invasion near the city of Izyum in Kharkiv Oblast.
He was an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Tech that spent years in… pic.twitter.com/D4fYgLVy5m
— Cloooud | (@GloOouD) May 7, 2025
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Garrett had been active in Ukraine since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and returned to the frontlines in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion. At the time of his death, he had been working to remove unexploded ordnance in territory previously occupied by Russian forces.
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Garrett’s mother, Hazel, confirmed his death and spoke from her home in Peel on the Isle of Man.
“Thousands of people in Ukraine are now living because of him. I feel so proud of him. He studied everything about mines and passed that information to others.”
Garrett is survived by his partner, American paramedic and firefighter Courtney Pollock, and their 18-month-old daughter, Reed.
The couple met during the Ukraine conflict and launched Prevail Together with other military and humanitarian experts. They had planned to make Ukraine their permanent home.
The charity’s board includes Shaun Pinner, a former British soldier and former prisoner of war in Ukraine. Pinner announced Garrett’s death and told Manx Radio:
“He dedicated so much of his life to clearing mines and mine awareness. Chris loved the people, the country, and the culture.”
Garrett had previously been sentenced to 14 and a half years in a Russian proxy court in Donetsk earlier this year but was released. His mother said she did not initially know he had returned to Ukraine. “He called me and said, ‘Mum, I’m not where you think I am,’” she recalled.
Garrett, who was adopted at age two, spent his childhood outdoors fishing and playing cricket. He later joined the Army Cadets and briefly served in the British Army. He worked as a tree surgeon and fisherman before becoming an EOD technician trained in Southeast Asia.
: Christopher Garrett, a courageous and dedicated British Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, known affectionately as “Swampy,” passed away on May 6, 2025, while serving on the battlefield in Ukraine. A native of the Isle of Man, Christopher’s life was defined by his… pic.twitter.com/F6cno3kXDx
— Kagan.Dunlap (@Kagan_M_Dunlap) May 7, 2025
A fundraiser organized to return Garrett’s body to the Isle of Man has raised more than £16,000. Additional donations will support his partner and their daughter.
Efforts are underway to repatriate his remains with assistance from both British and Ukrainian military officials.
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