An Australian man suspected of shooting dead a British soldier fighting Russian forces in Ukraine is being hunted by police.
Abdelftah “Adam” Nowlin, who enlisted in the Ukrainian military in 2022, has been named as a suspect in the murder of fellow combatant Daniel Burke.
Burke, 36, was reported missing in August 2023 and was found the following month buried in an underground pipe near an abandoned training ground in Zaporizhzhia, about 45 kilometers from the Ukrainian front.
A coroner’s inquest into Mr Burke’s death in the UK last week found that he “died with courage and valor, but sadly was killed by cowardice and dishonor”.
The court found Mr Burke was killed by an acquaintance.
Mr Nowlin was not named at the inquest, but he is known to Greater Manchester Police, who are investigating the death.
He also reportedly told Ukrainian authorities that he accidentally killed Burke during a training exercise.
The coroner said: “Initially there was evidence that the death was an accident, but based on evidence gathered by the Ukrainian authorities and Greater Manchester Police we rule this out.”
Abdelftah “Adam” Nourin (pictured), who volunteered for the Ukrainian army in 2022, has been named as a suspect in the murder of fellow combatant Daniel Burke.
Mr Burke (pictured), 36, was reported missing in August 2023 and was found the following month buried in underground pipes near an abandoned training ground in Zaporizhzhia, about 45 kilometers from the Ukrainian front. discovered.
‘[Mr Burke] They were unarmed and unable to defend themselves.
Nurin, known as “Jihad Adam,” fled Ukraine shortly after and his whereabouts are unknown.
Burke previously fought against ISIS in Syria and founded a company called Dark Angels.
It is made up of former military personnel who provide military, security and humanitarian assistance in conflict zones around the world.
The court heard that on the day Mr Burke went missing, August 11, he spoke to his family and planned to FaceTime them later.
Surveillance cameras showed him and Mr Nurin before the pair headed to an abandoned training ground.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (right) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) in Kyiv, 2022
Mr Burke (pictured), who previously fought with ISIS in Syria, founded a company called Dark Angels.
The inquest heard that when Mr Nourin was interviewed after Mr Burke’s death, he gave various statements to police.
He claimed Mr. Burke accidentally fired the gun with the assault rifle he was holding.
However, an autopsy of Mr Burke revealed that he had been shot at least three times in the head, neck and chest.
The court said ballistics studies carried out by Ukrainian authorities found it impossible to fire the weapon accidentally.
According to a BBC report, Ukrainian police sent a request for legal assistance to Australian authorities in February to help find Nourin, but received no response.
Mr Burke’s family is shocked by his death and wants justice.
“I don’t know why he would do that.” [Mr Nourine] He should just go on and live a normal life and walk away thinking it’s okay,” Burke’s mother, Diane Snaith, told the BBC.
“If he was a trained soldier, he wouldn’t have fired the gun. There’s no way. And apparently, from what I’ve heard, it takes quite a while to pull that trigger.” she added.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.