DOWNEND’S former MP has revealed he is now serving in the Ukrainian military.
Jack Lopresti, who lost his Filton & Bradley Stoke seat in last July’s general election, released a statement saying that he is serving with the defence intelligence section of the International Legion of Ukraine.
He says he is also involved in “foreign relations and diplomacy, weapons procurement, and some work with veterans and other charities operating in Ukraine”.
Mr Lopresti said: “It is a huge honour and an immense privilege for me to serve in the Ukrainian military and be able to help the gallant and amazing Ukrainian people in any way I can.
“They are not only fighting for their freedom and their right to exist as an independent and sovereign nation, they are also fighting for all of us, in Europe and the rest of the free world.
“If Putin wins in Ukraine we all know he won’t stop there.
“Dictators have to be defeated, or they never stop.
“The ramifications would also be enormous for the rest of the world, particularly in places like Taiwan.
“With the authoritarian axis of dictatorships, China, Iran, and North Korea on the march and clearly working together, Ukraine has to be supported and given the tools to win for all of our sakes.”
Mr Lopresti told the Voice that his current military role is not on the front line, although he has recently visited Kharkiv, which is subject to frequent Russian attacks, to meet military commanders.
He said: “I am a soldier first and foremost and would be surprised if I didn’t have any front line service while I’m here.”
He says he has “signed up for the duration” of the conflict.
Mr Lopresti also joined a cross-party UK Parliamentary delegation which travelled across Ukraine in January, meeting military commanders in Kharkiv and visiting rehab centres, the main children’s hospital in Kyiv and the city of Kremenchuk, where UK charity HopeFull has been providing pizza, fruit, coffee, hot chocolate and Coca-Cola to residents and refugees from the war.
Last year the Voice reported that Mr Lopresti, who lives in Almondsbury and served with the Territorial Army in Afghanistan in 2008-09, had been appointed patron of the Ukrainian Action Heroes rehabilitation programme.
The initiative aims to help wounded Ukrainian veterans recover and reintegrate into society by teaching them to ski and snowboard in the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains.
Before losing his seat last July, the former Conservative Party deputy chairman had represented the Filton & Bradley Stoke constituency since its creation in 2010.
He was beaten by Labour’s Claire Hazelgrove, by a margin of 10,000 votes.