A Ukrainian who fought alongside Britain to defeat the Nazis pleaded “do not give up on us” as the country battles for survival 80 years on.

Proudly displaying his war medals, Volodoymir Overko, 99, spoke of his admiration for Winston Churchill and unbreakable Blitz spirit.

As the UK begins its celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, he praised Britons for standing shoulder to shoulder with his homeland.

But Volodoymir warned Russia’s onslaught under the orders of Vladimir Putin is going to get “much worse”.

He told the Express: “I want to tell the British people - thank you and beware because Russia is a great danger to Europe. Although Britain understands this more than most other countries.

“I think of the UK as particularly special because it supports Ukraine with such strength. “Please do not give up this support because it’s going to get much worse.”

On the outbreak of war in the Soviet Union, a 15-year-old Volodoymir and his friends rushed to their local army recruitment centre pleading to join the fight.

He was rejected and instead joined Ukraine’s equivalent of the Home Guard, patrolling the streets of Kyiv as the Nazis launched a brutal campaign to take the city.

That onslaught bears grim similarities to the offensive launched by Vladimir Putin in 2022 with Volodoymir amongst the few with memories of both attacks.

Pulling out his much-loved copy of Churchill’s autobiography, he said: “We all know about how Britain persevered during the terrible bombings of London.

“Churchill was a very great person, smart and wise. He predicted accurately what would happen with Russia and Europe.

After surviving the Nazi occupation of his hometown, Volodoymir joined the Soviet forces as a foot soldier, working with Britain to defeat the Nazis.

Ahead of this week’s celebrations, the 99-year-old thanked his British comrades for their efforts in securing victory over Adolf Hitler.

“I wish them good health so that we, all veterans, can celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Second World War together,” he added.

In the offices of the Association for Ukrainian Veterans, the national head of the organisation, Mamatov Leoidovych, revealed that soldiers from the Second World War had been digging into their Nazi-fighting knowledge to assist in the campaign against Putin.

He said: “Our members remembered fighting positions from the time they were defending the country against the Nazis

“They used their map-reading skills to point out geo-locations on mobile phones and those insights were passed to current soldiers.

“They have also been helping injured fighters from the front line deal with the psychological impact of war.

“In the hospitals where our seriously injured boys who have been evacuated from Kharkiv or Dnipro are brought, we have a room where they meet with veterans. They know what they are going through and can help deal with that mental toll.”

Female veterans have been knitting camouflage nets and socks for the Ukrainian army, while others operated 3D printers manufacturing drone components.

Mamatov, himself a more recent veteran from the war against Russia, thanked Britain for its unwavering support for Ukraine and cited the spirit of the Blitz as one of the country’s inspirations.

He added: “On this armistice, people need to remember and know their history. How it was then affects what happens today and tomorrow.

“We are very grateful to the British people for the help they are constantly providing and believe the alliance between the two countries is stronger now than during the Second World War.

“What we are experiencing with the Russian bombing is what the UK went through during the Blitz, so British people understand what we are going through.

“Back then, UK towns and cities were bombarded, planes flew over from Germany several times a day, and people had to run to bomb shelters to hide. But they kept going, and in the end, the war was won.”

It sickened Mamatov to hear Russian propaganda refer to Ukrainians as ‘Nazis’ a slur that is especially painful as the armistice approaches.

While Russia plans a grand parade through the streets of Moscow, veterans who fought bravely against Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union in Kyiv have been robbed of their small traditions for honouring the fallen.

“It is traditional at the anniversary of the Second World War to visit the grave of a relative or fallen comrade and drink a toast to them,” said Alfred Korchak, 88, who leads the Kyiv chapter of the veterans group and remembers the last battle for the city as a child.

“But this year, due to the war, we will not be able to do this. Normally, we would take people out, have a picnic and sing old war songs.”

Ukrainian troops will be taking part in the UK’s military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day in London on May 5th.

They will join about 1,000 UK service personnel from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the forces joining together for the procession will symbolise the global support for Ukraine’s “continued fight for freedom against Russia’s unprovoked, illegal invasion”.

The representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces taking part in Monday’s procession will consist of those deployed to the UK on Operation Interflex - the UK armed forces’ training programme for Ukrainian recruits, delivered with 12 partner nations.

The UK and its partners have trained more than 54,000 Ukrainians in frontline combat skills since the programme was established in the summer of 2022.