Scottish man who joined Ukraine war effort feared dead

A Scottish man who travelled to Ukraine to fight against Russia is missing and feared dead.

Stefan Sivers, from Aberdeen, was reportedly killed in the Kharkiv region in May.

Pro-Kremlin social media accounts claimed he was killed by the Russian army in Kopanky.

Sivers posted pictures showing support for Ukraine on social media, and it was reported that he travelled to the country during the war in December 2025.

The Foreign Office confirmed he is missing and is supporting his family.

An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British national missing in Ukraine and are in contact with the local authorities.”

‘Ongoing risk of harm’

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continues to advise against all travel to Ukraine.

“There is an ongoing risk of harm to British nationals from Russian attacks across all of Ukraine, including from missiles and drones that hit unintended targets or from falling debris,” the FCDO website says.

“While these are more frequent where FCDO advises against all travel, they can and do also happen in the western regions, where FCDO advice is against all but essential travel.”

The FCDO also warned about the consequences of going to Ukraine to participate in the conflict.

“If you travel to Ukraine to fight, or to assist others engaged in the war, your activities may amount to offences under UK legislation.

“You could be prosecuted on your return to the UK.

“British nationals fighting in Ukraine have been killed or captured. British nationals undertaking humanitarian work have also been detained by Russian authorities. The risk to life, or of maltreatment, is high.

“The British government’s ability to support you in these circumstances is very limited. It cannot facilitate your departure from Ukraine, your medical repatriation, or termination of your military contract.”