Tributes paid to 'gentle giant' killed in Ukraine

Ryan Evans, from Wrexham, was killed while working as a media security adviser in eastern Ukraine

A man killed while working as a media security adviser in Ukraine was a "gentle giant" with "strong Welsh heritage", his family and friends have said.

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.

A former colleague said he was the "most humble guy" who knew the risks of the industry but put others first.

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 say 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.

Richard Elton, a close friend and former colleague of Mr Evans who had worked with him overseas, said it was "sad and heart sinking when it's close to home" despite risks being "what we expect in our game".

He told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast Mr Evans was “the most humble guy I’ve ever come across", adding: "He’d listen to anybody and always put everybody before himself."

"Ryan's a great guy. He's strong Welsh heritage. If we could take anything away, it's the grace of his presence, that's what we've got to hold close to our hearts.”

Explaining the job his friend had been doing, Mr Elton added: “In simple terms, we're enablers. We get people into places where the normal run of the mill person wouldn't go. We put that protective bubble around a client so they can achieve their work mission.

"If it's a journalist, we get them as close and as safe as possible, advise them in the best way we possibly can... you need to look to us guys to pull you through.”

Posting on Facebook, Mr Evans' wife, Anne, said he would 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 described him as 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.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was "deeply saddened" by Mr Evans's death and offered his "sincere condolences to his family and loved ones".

Ryan Evans joined the Royal Welsh regiment after leaving school

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 probably 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 attack, with civilians killed.

A spokesperson for Reuters 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.