A COLDSTREAM Guard who fled his barracks to fight Russia in Ukraine has been promoted since he returned to Britain.
The soldier was 19 when he booked a one-way ticket to fight dictator Vladimir Putin’s troops.
He was the first member of the Armed Forces to go AWOL to head to Ukraine.
But he has since been promoted to Lance Corporal within the Coldstream Guards 1st Battalion — and was part of the regiment’s guard of honour for the Queen’s funeral in 2022.
Pictures posted online also show him wearing the King’s Coronation Medal from 2023 and an Operational Service Medal for Iraq and Syria.
In March 2022, The Sun revealed the teen had absconded to try to join Ukraine’s Foreign Legion.
But before signing up, the soldier agreed to return and flew home from Poland.
He was allowed to return to the historic Windsor Barracks, having been missing for only six days.
Defence chiefs feared his actions would help Russia to claim Britain had joined the war.
He was spared prosecution despite a threat of one from Ben Wallace, the then-Defence Secretary.
