How volunteer gamers are fighting real war in Ukraine

Gen-Zers from the UK and the US are among an influx using their Xbox experience to repel Russia

- Harry etourton

On a mild spring evening, deep in eastern Ukraine, Shawn McVey – call sign “Goldfish” – peers into a gully where controlled chaos is unfolding. “If you’re too busy killing, you don’t have time to die,” he bellows across the smoke-filled twilight.

Explosions punctuate the dusk, casting brief, searing flashes over a network of trenches carved deep into Ukrainian soil. Helmets bob through the haze; figures crawl and scramble under fire, their shouts blending with the staccato of simulated gunfire.

“Your job isn’t to die for Ukraine – it’s to make sure they die for Russia,” roars Brad, call sign “Cossack”, a grizzled 20-year veteran of the US 82nd Airborne and the camp’s head instructor.

Amid the mayhem, a handful of Western voices rise over the chaos. This unlikely patch of rural Donetsk has become a hub for an influx of foreigners signing up to fight against Russia – a growing phenomenon that Ukrainian commanders and a cadre of Western veterans are now working to shape into a disciplined force.

The training course – a three-week selection process masterminded by McVey – was created after Ukraine’s 25th Airborne Brigade, currently defending the critical city of Pokrovsk, found themselves overwhelmed by the influx of foreign volunteers. Many found their way here via a single Reddit post.

“I reached out to the 25th Airborne Brigade and got a phone interview, a background check – then I was told I could come,” says Scott, 19, call sign “Buffalo”, a firefighter from Washington State.

If they make it through, many hope to specialise as drone pilots – a critical and rapidly evolving role on Ukraine’s battlefield. In a war increasingly dominated by drones, gaming skills have become a surprisingly valuable asset.