'Normal Yorkshire lad' killed by drone in Ukraine 'suicide mission' is first UK national to die fighting for Putin’s Russia
Bradley Townsend was among a small number of UK nationals fighting for Russia in Ukraine, but he is the first known British fighter to have died on the Russian side since Putin’s forces first invaded the country in 2014.
A man who described himself as a ‘normal Yorkshire lad’ has become the first UK national to die fighting for Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine, LBC has learned.
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Bradley Townsend left his home in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, in April this year, telling his family he was going to Romania, according to a friend.
They later discovered that the fisherman had travelled to Moscow, where he was met by British pro-Russian fighters Aiden Minnis and Ben Stimson, who reportedly recruited him online, before signing a contract to fight on the Ukrainian frontline, despite having no military experience.
Just 10 weeks later, on June 10, Townsend was killed in a “storm operation” by a remote controlled FPV drone in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, near the city of Lyman, according to a Russia-linked social media account seen by LBC, which referred to him by his callsign “Badger.”
The account, known for repeating Russian propaganda, described Townsend as a “warrior in a holy war” who had “sacrificed his life for the cause".
Former security minister Tom Tugendhat condemned the act as "an incredibly stupid thing to do".
In a video interview with Minnis, posted on Telegram in April, the 33-year-old described himself as “a normal working-class lad from Yorkshire” who wanted to support Russian separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, chillingly admitting that his trip may become a suicide mission.
He said: “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.”
Read more: Kremlin warns of 'consequences' for Britain after UK drones used by Ukraine to strike Russia
Writing online, Townsend added that he was partly motivated by his mining roots, claiming Donbas workers had donated a month’s wages to Yorkshire miners during the 1980s strikes, and that he had gone to “repay that favour”.
In August, Stimson, an Oldham-born pro-Russian fighter who was jailed in Britain in 2017 after joining a Russian-backed militia in eastern Ukraine, wrote on Telegram that Townsend’s flat cap had been brought back to the UK by a friend and would be left on Ilkley Moor.
Stimson denied claims he had recruited Townsend, claiming he had “advised him to stay in the UK,” adding: “Brad was adamant he wanted to go and fight.”
The Foreign Office has since been made aware of his death and is supporting Townsend’s family, LBC understands.
Townsend’s death has sent shockwaves through the local community, with some taking to social media to express their horror that he died fighting for Russia.
One man, who went to school with Townsend, said he had been “brainwashed”, while another friend said he was a “normal guy” who had been “indoctrinated” by people who “saw his vulnerability as an opportunity to recruit him into their twisted cause.”
Another described how Townsend had struggled with mental illness and addiction.
Townsend was among a small number of UK nationals fighting for Russia in Ukraine, but he is the first known British fighter to have died on the Russian side since President Putin’s forces first invaded the country in 2014.
He was previously photographed with Minnis, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, and Stimson, in front of a monument to the Allied forces who defeated Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
Minnis has said his family disowned him after he left to fight for Russia, while Stimson’s father has said he was “horrified” by his son’s actions.
The pair could face terrorism charges if they ever return home.