Two British men fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine have been branded traitors in the UK, but they deny the charge, claiming they are heroes in Russia. Ben Stimson, 48, from Oldham, and Aiden Minnis, 37, both former drug addicts and convicted criminals, have been praised by Russian state media as part of an information war against the West.
Stimson, who is seeking Russian citizenship, told the Daily Mirror that he is considered a “minor celeb” in Russia and has no plans to return to Britain. He is set to be interviewed by state-controlled RT and Sputnik, both banned in the UK. In a separate interview with Kremlin-linked Telegram channel Readovka, he described Britain as “a fascist country” and expressed his love for Russia.
Russian propaganda outlets have mocked the UK’s reaction, with Moscow paper Komsomolskaya Pravda claiming the pair had “caused hysteria” in Britain. Kremlin-owned newspaper Argumenty i fakty assured readers that ordinary Brits do not view them as traitors and instead “support the pro-Russian fighters”.
Political analyst Konstantin Strigunov accused the British media of using negative framing to portray only “unsavoury individuals” as supporters of Russia, calling it a “classic manipulative propaganda technique”. Former state-controlled NTV presenter Liza Gerson questioned the use of the term “traitors”, asking: “Did Britain declare war on Russia? Who did they betray?”
Military expert Bruce Jones noted that the case is unusual, as details of foreign fighters for Russia are typically kept secret. He warned that most foreigners fighting for Putin face prosecution in their home countries.
