A defiant Manx volunteer jailed in his absence by a Russian court on terrorism charges says accusations he is a mercenary are ‘comical’.

Chris Garrett has been handed a 14-and-a-half-year prison sentence which means he will be jailed if he steps on Russian soil or is captured in Ukraine. He was tried by a court in Donetsk which is under Russian control.

Brave Chris, 42, has spent the war blowing up artillery shells and live ammo dumped by Vladimir Putin’s retreating troops.

He returned to the Isle of Man in 2023 after his partner Courtney Pollock became pregnant.

But Chris, from Peel, has since returned to Ukraine to carry out his work with the Prevail charity which he co-founded.

Speaking from Ukraine, Chris said: ‘In regards to the sentence, I am really not that concerned. It is from a non-recognised court in occupied territory who are simply told what to do/say.

‘There is zero legitimacy. I find the accusations of being a mercenary comical at best. Between 2014 – 2023, when I have served contracts with the Ukrainian Armed Forces and military intelligence as a bomb disposal technician, I have never received any more than a basic Ukrainian soldier.

‘When working with the armed forces under contract, we have to carry firearms. Does this make me some cold murderer or terrorist? Of course not.

‘But when your task is to clear landmines and unexploded ordnance from the front to free up evacuation routes and supply routes, then you better be armed. Situations can change very fast and whether you like it or not, the fight can come to you very fast.’

Chris says his focus in the last two or three years has been on charity work to provide education on landmine risks.

He said: ‘Since April 2023, the sole focus has been on establishing our organisations, both US and Ukrainian registered charities to continue providing landmine risk education, landmine clearance training and paramedic support with our ambulances and medical teams.

‘We know what we are doing is right, that's why Russia hates us. You can't please everyone it seems.’

He was among the first into the massacred towns of Bucha and Irpin and worked round the clock in the wake of the Battle for Hostomel Airport.

Chris, known as Swampy, served in the British Army as a teen but was a tree surgeon before volunteering in Ukraine.

Chris became the chief explosive ordnance disposal instructor for the International Volunteer Bomb Disposal Unit.

Now, his focus is on getting enough funding to carry out his charity work.

‘Right now our goal is just to continue building up our organisation,’ he said. ‘We are 100% reliant of donations and we have zero government or institutional support, so scraping by on social media is what we have to do.

‘It's a full-time task in itself, let alone the work on the ground. We have our second ambulance that still requires equipment so trying to find the funds to get that outfitted and working is the priority right now.’

Chris admits it might be a while before he returns to the Isle of Man and admits it is not easy on his family.

‘When I can do, I get back home to see family and friends,’ he said. ‘But with the situation in Ukraine, it can mean losing a day’s travel just to get out of the country and it can turn into a week very quickly.

‘With so much to do here and having teams to manage, finding time can be hard, which is hard on my family. It's certainly not easy on us. Getting time with families at home or in the US is few and far between. But, we are strongly committed to supporting Ukraine in its time of need.

You can click here if you wish to support Chris’s charity.