British national Bradley Townsend, 33, is reported to have been killed in a drone strike near Lyman, a city in Donetsk, in June. If confirmed by British authorities, he would be the first Brit to die fighting for Russia against Ukraine.
Reports of death and background
It has been widely reported that Townsend, a former fisherman from Barnsley, was killed by a remote-controlled first-person-view drone. He left Britain for Russia in April and joined the Russian armed forces despite having no previous military experience. He had described himself as a “normal working-class lad from Yorkshire” and said he joined to help Russian separatists in eastern Donbas.
Townsend had said he signed up to fight for Vladimir Putin's army to repay the Donbas for supporting striking miners in the 1980s. In a social media post, he said miners from the Donbas had donated a month's wages to Yorkshire miners during strikes in that decade, and that he wished to “repay that favour”.
Statements from fellow volunteer and MP
Aiden Minnis, a fellow Briton fighting in Putin's forces, said Townsend had “sacrificed his life for our cause”. In a tribute, Minnis wrote: “Bradley Spencer Townsend, call sign 'Badger', our beloved comrade-in-arms went into the storm and fell on the battlefield near Liman [sic]. He made the journey from Great Britain to Russia, he chose to walk in his grandfather's footsteps and answered the call to fight fascism. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Bradley before he decided to sign his contract. We discussed the danger he would be facing, but he insisted that his mind was made up and he wanted to help the people of Russia defeat the Nazis. Ultimately, he sacrificed his life for our cause. His service was brief but he blazed the brightest star. Rest in Paradise brother. 'To die a warrior in a Holy War is to live forever'.”
Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tunbridge and a former security minister, said he was “very sorry for him and his family” but that joining the Russian armed forces was “unbelievably stupid”. He said: “It's extremely misguided and, you know, no question about it, it's criminal because you're engaging in an army that is committing the most barbarous war crimes that the world has seen in decades.”
Previous statements and confirmation status
Before leaving, Townsend wrote on social media: “I came with the idea that I probably wouldn't be able to go home. I'd definitely get persecuted if I went back. I'm not here for a suicide mission, but I understand that's what can happen. This was my own decision, I wasn't pushed into anything.”
The news of his death has come from widely reported local media and social media tributes. It has not yet been confirmed by British authorities.
