A British actor has voiced a Russian government propaganda video promoting the invasion of Ukraine, according to reports. Bruce Grant, 72, moved to Russia in 1994 and has lived much of his life there, despite owning a language services company registered in London.
In the Kremlin clip released on Monday, Grant spoke of the 'loss of over three million Red Army soldiers and officers' during World War II, but went on to declare that 'today in Ukraine the Nazis and their fascist nationalist minions are hailed as heroes'. He also claimed that Ukrainians are conducting a 'mass genocide of the Russian-speaking population'.
Grant, whose father was a World War II RAF veteran, has been compared to Lord Haw-Haw, the fascist campaigner who broadcast Nazi propaganda during the war and was hanged for treason in 1946. Grant graduated from Aberdeen University and later emigrated to Canada before moving to Russia.
He has worked as a voice actor for more than 33 studios, including as a lead voice artist for the video game series War Thunder, produced by Russian-founded developer Gaijin Entertainment. The company distanced itself from Grant's statements, saying he was a freelance talent not employed by them.
The video's release comes as Russia's parliament passed a bill giving prosecutors powers to shut foreign media bureaus in Moscow if a Western country has been 'unfriendly' to Russian media. The bill also prohibits distribution of materials from closed media and could lead to journalists losing their accreditation.
