What we’re missing in the tragedy of Ukrainian war volunteers Andrew Bagshaw and Christopher Parry

Even among the most hardened and veteran of war correspondents – the work done by the people who evacuate civilians from the frontline – is considered so incredibly dangerous it verges on mad.

On Sunday, friends and fellow volunteers gathered at Kyiv’s St Sophia’s Cathedral to bid goodbye to British volunteers Andrew Bagshaw, 47, and Christopher Parry, 28, who were killed trying to rescue elderly residents from Soledar.

It is an east Ukrainian town in the claws of the fiercest frontline of the entire war. We embedded with medics manning field hospitals in this area. They were working 24 hours a day treating the wounded who were coming in thick and fast under this constant wall of Russian shelling. When the pair went missing, their friends sent me the route they had planned to take in order to answer a call for help. Their destination was a north eastern corner of the salt-mining town and so close to Russian positions that at some point during that day when Moscow’s men made a push forward, they were swallowed up in the moving frontline. The family later informed the world that they had indeed been killed in the shelling.

Since then, there has been some criticism of the two British citizens, who had never dealt with conflict beforehand: Chris was a running coach, Andrew was a scientific researcher. Some people have said that their killing showed why people who have no experience in war should not engage in conflicts like the devastating invasion of Ukraine.

Firstly the truth is – no matter how battle hardened you are – there is no way for anyone to truly protect themselves against shelling, which is inherently indiscriminate and bloody. The only way to be safe is to simply not go there.

Secondly, there is an immense need right now for help evacuating civilians in Ukraine, and there are just not enough people - who are brave or crazy enough - to do the job. The Ukrainians I know who risk their lives doing evacuations are immensely grateful for the help they get from foreign volunteers. I have watched the teams live and work together – I’ve watched them risk their lives together.

I would never encourage anyone to travel to a war zone, if they do not have to be there. In fact I have suggested some well-meaning foreigners – including British citizens – who came to Ukraine desperate to help at the start of the war to go home, as I worried about their safety. There are no words to explain how horrific and dangerous some of the frontlines are.

These two people died way too young. But the work they did was extraordinary. Between the two of them they apparently rescued 400 people and dozens of animals. And it should be celebrated. Rather than hot takes about what car they were driving or whether their body armour was too khaki, I think the focus should be their immense bravery, and the number of lives they saved.

The truth is, 99 percent of us would not be capable of doing this job – and we certainly wouldn’t do it voluntarily and for free. But someone has to do it. And these two did do it. And they saved lives. And that is what should be remembered right now as they are laid to rest.