Tributes paid to 'gentle giant' Welshman killed in Ukraine

Tributes have been paid to a man who was killed while working as a media security adviser in Ukraine.

Ryan Evans, 38, from Wrexham, was in the east of the country with a news crew from Reuters news agency when the hotel they were staying in was hit by a missile on Saturday.

Mr Evans attended Ysgol Morgan Llwyd school before joining the Army and serving in the Royal Welsh regiment.

His family have described him as "a gentle giant" who always wanted to help others.

Mr Evans was one of six Reuters staff staying at the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk - which is under Ukrainian control but near the front line - when it was hit.

Ukrainian authorities said the hotel was struck by a Russian missile. Russia has not commented.

His body was recovered from the rubble on Sunday after a 19-hour search.

Posting on Facebook, his wife, Anne Evans, said he will be missed by all his family, including his four children, the youngest just 18 months old.

"I can't even begin to explain how much that man meant to me, how much I adored him with every part of me.

"He was my best friend and my soul mate, my everything," she said.

She added that he was a "knight in battered armour" because "he was in shiny armour once, but he had been through more battles than I can even count".

"He was such a gentle giant. If anyone needed anything ever he was there. He would always put others first and himself second," she added.

Tributes have also been paid by staff at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, a Welsh-medium school in Wrexham.

Head teacher Catrin Pritchard said: "I extend my most sincere condolences to Ryan's family and friends.

"Although Ryan had left Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, several members of staff still remember him extremely fondly as a very likeable person, with a big heart."

Mr Evans joined the Royal Welsh after school, serving in Iraq and reaching the rank of corporal.

He later trained as a close protection specialist, accompanying journalists and aid workers into hostile environments.

Chris Hunter, a bomb disposal expert and colleague of Mr Evans, described him as a "natural warrior".

"He was exceptional, a really lovely guy - tough, strong and fierce, but kind and funny," he said, adding that Mr Evans' "bravery and dedication were unmatched".

"He deeply cared for those around him and was committed to making the world a safer place.

"Despite his formidable presence, he treated everyone with kindness and respect.

"His loss leaves a void that cannot be filled," Mr Hunter added.

The Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office wrote in a statement that the hotel had likely been hit with a Russian short-range Iskander-M missile.

Kramatorsk is only about 20km (12 miles) from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and has come under regular attacks, with civilians killed.

A spokesperson for the Reuters news agency said: "We are devastated to learn that Reuters safety advisor Ryan Evans, who was with our reporting team in Ukraine, has been killed.

"Two of our journalists are in hospital; one is being treated for serious injuries. Three other colleagues have been accounted for and are safe."

The spokesperson added that the news agency was "urgently seeking more information about the attack".

"We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan's family and loved ones.

"Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly," they added.