British mercenary leaves Ukraine after 9 Hours.

Volunteers have been flocking to fight in the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, but one Briton found that the reality of the experience is not the dream that was sold. Jake Priday, a teacher and veteran, had taken three weeks off to answer Zelensky’s call for foreign mercenaries. However, upon arriving in Poland, he found himself surrounded by naive recruits, and when he finally reached Ukraine, a more sinister enemy still – paperwork.

Unbeknownst to Priday before he left the UK, recruits were being asked to sign a contract binding them to the rules of martial law, effectively forcing them to fight indefinitely, and for only $230 a month compensation and five days’ training. Worse, they would be heading straight for the front line. Priday tried to explain the reality of the situation to other recruits, emphasizing that fighting the Russian Army ‘is nothing like fighting terrorists,’ but the dream had been sold too well.

After trying to convince his fellow recruits to quit, few of whom had any military experience, Priday hitchhiked his way back to the Polish border. His term of service lasted only nine hours.