British aid worker killed in Ukraine after Russian drone attack
Photo: Volunteer Annie Lewis Marffy (family photo)
In June, Russian forces attacked a car with a drone, killing a 69-year-old volunteer in the Donetsk region. Her family still cannot retrieve her body from the combat zone, BBC reports.
The tragedy occurred in June 2025. According to the family of volunteer Annie Lewis Marffy, she entered Ukraine from Poland on June 4. Her last conversation with her son was on June 8, after which she stopped answering calls.
Marffy, a British national, worked with the charitable organization Aid Ukraine. The foundation said she traveled to Kramatorsk in a green Toyota RAV4 as part of a convoy with another humanitarian worker. Later, her colleague fell ill and returned to the UK.
Marffy was offered help delivering humanitarian aid to Ukrainian troops, but she insisted on continuing alone to Kramatorsk. The foundation last communicated with her on June 10.
A police report from the Kramatorsk District Police Department mentions Marffy by name. It states that she sustained "injuries incompatible with life" after a Russian drone strike between 11 and 12 June.
Her family said they contacted both the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and British authorities. So far, no one has been able to help retrieve her body or issue a death certificate.
Volunteer deaths
This is not the first case of volunteers dying as a result of the full-scale war in Ukraine, including foreigners.
For example, on the night of June 17, Russian forces carried out a combined attack on Kyiv using drones and missiles. The attack killed 62-year-old US citizen Fred Grandy, who had come to Ukraine to help clear rubble.
