Ukraine’s struggle to beat back Russian forces has attracted a large number of British volunteers including a former football hooligan who has not been heard from in months. A once notable figure in Hibernian FC’s hooligan scene, Robert Grady came back to the United Kingdom in April.
The grandfather stated at the time that he was recovering from Covid, and announced in July that he had returned to Ukraine landed a “good job” and was living the “dream” life.
However, Mr. Grady reportedly could not provide many details about his job as it was linked to “special forces.”
There have been no updates from Mr. Grady since August 2022, when his social media activity abruptly stopped.
In August, he updated his Facebook profile picture, showcasing a Ukrainian coat of arms on the Scottish saltire.
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In a video captured in April 2022, Mr Grady was seen wearing body armor and holding an assault rifle.
Mr Grady said: “My name is Rob. I’m a 61-year-old grandfather from Scotland. I’ve traveled to Ukraine to help Ukraine fight the Russians.
“I’ll do anything I can in my power to save Ukraine from Putin. Everybody in the world please help Ukraine.”
But after spending a month there, Mr Grady announced on social media that he had returned home and was recovering from Covid.
A few months later, in July, he shared a photo of himself holding an assault rifle while sporting camouflage body armor and shorts.
In response to comments from followers telling him to “keep up the good work” and “stay safe,” he declared that he was “back” in Ukraine.
Mr. Grady claimed he had a “good job,” but because it involved special forces, he couldn’t respond “too much” to some users’ comments.
After confirming he had returned to Ukraine in July, Mr. Grady did not post any updates on social media.
His most recent post was in August, when he changed his Facebook profile picture to a Scottish Saltire with a Ukrainian coat of arms overlay.
Mr Grady has a history of involvement with the Capital City Service (CCS) hooligan group and received a football banning order in 2014 for participating in a street fight after a cup final.
He has also been linked to the Easter Road club since the early 1980s.
In the summer of last year, a Georgian commander stated that there were about 3,000 British volunteers fighting against Russia in Ukraine, making them the second largest group of foreign fighters after Georgia and ahead of the US, although these figures are unofficial.
