British 'Traitor' Granted Russian Passport After Joining Putin's Army in Ukraine
A British man labelled a 'traitor' for joining Vladimir Putin's army to fight against Ukraine has been officially granted a Russian passport. Ben Stimson, 49, from Oldham, travelled to the war-torn Donetsk region to take up arms for Putin's forces, and his new citizenship has now been confirmed by loyalist pro-Kremlin MP Maria Butina.
Pro-Kremlin MP Confirms Citizenship Grant
Maria Butina, a staunch supporter of the Kremlin, revealed that the main pro-Putin political party, United Russia, had backed the decision to grant citizenship to Stimson. She stated, 'Ben has already proven his love and loyalty to Russia, his empathy for the residents of the new territories.' Butina explained that Stimson had faced issues with his passport and possible deportation, prompting her to intervene and request a Russian passport from Putin's interior ministry. 'Yesterday we received a response. A positive decision was made to grant Russian citizenship to the fighter Benjamin Stimson,' she declared.
Stimson's Background and Military Involvement
Stimson first travelled to Russia in 2015, where he joined pro-Russian militia forces in the Donbas region. Upon returning to Britain in 2017, he was jailed for five years. He is currently fighting Ukrainian soldiers with Russia's Pyatnashka brigade, a unit composed mainly of foreign mercenaries, and is reportedly involved in training African recruits. Stimson has posted numerous videos online since fleeing to Donetsk, including disturbing footage showing frontline soldiers walking past dead bodies. He is one of at least two British men currently fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
Connection to Another British Fighter
Stimson is friends with Aiden Minnis, 37, a former drug addict and convicted thug from Chippenham, Wiltshire, who identifies as a 'Z Patriot' and a 'sapper in the Russian army'. Minnis has championed Putin on social media, calling the Russian leader 'still the greatest politician on earth'. In 2024, he labelled Britain a 'fascist state' shortly after Putin's controversial election victory. Minnis has also pledged allegiance to Russia, proudly displaying his Russian passport in videos and expressing relief at being 'safe from prosecution in the UK'.
Controversy and Condemnation
Former British Army commander Colonel Richard Kemp has strongly condemned both men, calling them 'an absolute disgrace and traitors who upon their return to the UK should be arrested and jailed'. Kemp added, 'They clearly don't know who the enemy is.' Reports last week suggested Minnis had gone missing and was feared dead, but Stimson has since hinted in a social media post that he is alive. Minnis has been disowned by his family, who claim they 'want nothing to do with him'.
Stimson's actions have sparked outrage, with many viewing him as a betrayer of his homeland. His journey from a British citizen to a Russian passport holder highlights the complex and contentious nature of foreign involvement in the Ukraine conflict, raising questions about loyalty, citizenship, and the consequences of taking up arms against one's own country.
