A British teenager has been killed on his first combat mission in Ukraine.

James Wilton, 18, is the youngest Briton to have died fighting for Ukraine.

He was walking across a field with other international fighters when three un-manned Russian drones spotted him.

James was yards from safety but one of the drones exploded above him.

Jason, a US volunteer who was with James when he died, said:

“We had to cross an open field with no trees, no cover, nothing, to resupply other soldiers.

“I was team leader and there were six of us traversing in groups of two, 20 metres apart.

“James and I were the last two.

“Once the drone was on him, he never stood a chance.

“It was James’s first and last mission.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to the teenage soldier.

He said: “Your boy gave his life, the most precious thing he had.

“It’s a great sorrow and I want you to know we appreciate it so much.

“He definitely is in our hearts, a heroic person”

James had no military experience.

He had a crash course with Ukrainian trainers on how to handle weapons.

He was attached to Ukraine’s Second International Legion.

His father Graham Wilton told The Sun:

“I’ll never get over this.

“I didn’t want him to go but his heart was set on it.

“He wanted to help Ukraine.

“I’ve been told bits of the story of how he died but have struggled to deal with it.

“I wish we could have swapped places because he had his whole life in front of him.”

“It’s taken a while to process James’s death.

“But I think it’s time that some kind of public tribute was paid and it’s good to be finally talking about what happened.”