Tory MP Johnny Mercer reveals he travelled to Kyiv in secret

The former veterans minister also visited Lviv, where he met with local politicians.
Conservative MP Johnny Mercer secretly travelled to Ukraine over the past week, he has revealed (House of Commons/PA)
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Meg Hill19 March 2022

Conservative MP Johnny Mercer secretly travelled to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv in recent days, he has revealed.

On Friday night, Mr Mercer – who is a former veterans minister – said he had boarded a plane to Krakow “a week ago” and headed back to the West on Wednesday.

The Plymouth Moor View MP tweeted photographs of himself visiting injured people in hospital, adding he had witnessed “total carnage” alongside demonstrations of “incredible human spirit”.

Mr Mercer told The Times: “I didn’t tell anyone, I just disappeared. I decided it was the right thing to do.”

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said he made the decision to travel after receiving an invitation from a former MP in the Donetsk region.

Government advice warns against travelling to the country. Mr Mercer is the first UK MP to visit the country’s capital since the outbreak of war.

Conservative MP Adam Holloway was criticised by Downing Street last week for visiting a different part of Ukraine.

Mr Mercer said he also visited Lviv, where he said he met with local politicians.

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