Devon Aid Volunteer Feared Dead in Ukraine Drone Strike

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The family of Annie Lewis Marffy, a 69-year-old British aid volunteer from Silverton, near Exeter, has expressed deep disappointment over the response from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) following her reported death in Ukraine.

Lewis Marffy travelled to Ukraine in late May to deliver humanitarian supplies using a green Toyota Rav4, as part of a mission organised by the non-profit Aid Ukraine UK. She arrived in the country on 4 June and was reportedly killed in a Russian drone strike on 11 June in the Kramatorsk area of the contested Donbas region. According to a police report, she sustained fatal injuries, and her remains are believed to still be in an area of active hostilities, preventing recovery efforts.

Her relatives have requested that a death certificate be issued either through Ukrainian authorities or the FCDO. They said the certificate would allow them to grieve and proceed with legal matters, including probate for the “brave, capable and determined” mother of three.

Katarzyna Bylok, founder of Aid Ukraine UK, said the process could take months or even years due to the inability to recover the remains. “It leaves her family in a horrible red-tape limbo,” Bylok said. “They will never get her body, but they need the ability to close her affairs.”

The family expressed frustration over the lack of updates from both Ukrainian and UK authorities. “After all this time, we haven’t received any report from the Ukrainian police. That has to come from Ukraine and would then be sent to Devon and Cornwall police,” they said. The family added that Lewis Marffy’s computer, held for analysis, contains information that could help them manage her affairs.

Bylok explained that Ukraine has an expedited process for certifying deaths in cases where remains cannot be recovered, though it typically takes six to 12 months. “There is enough evidence to prove that Annie is dead,” she said. “Procedures requiring remains or DNA for a death certificate need to be updated.”

Lewis Marffy had travelled through Europe with a former soldier from Wales, who returned to the UK after falling ill in Poland. Despite advice to hand over the vehicle to Aid Ukraine teams in Lviv, she chose to continue her mission to deliver supplies to Kramatorsk.

An FCDO spokesperson confirmed they are supporting the family and are in contact with local authorities regarding the case.