'Unbelievably stupid' — UK man becomes first reported British national to die fighting for Russia in Ukraine
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A fisherman from the United Kingdom is believed to have died in combat in eastern Ukraine in June, becoming the first British national to be killed while fighting for Russian forces, according to reports published Aug. 24.
Bradley Townsend, 33, a self-described "normal, working-class Yorkshire lad," left the U.K. two months before his death, telling his family he was going to Romania, according to the Yorkshire Post. He had no military training or experience before enlisting in the Russian military.
Townsend was reportedly killed on June 10 by an FPV (first-person-view) drone outside the town of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast.
The U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was aware of reports that a British national had died in Ukraine and said it was in contact with the family of the deceased.
"I came with the idea that I probably wouldn’t be able to go home," Townsend said in a social media video. "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."
Conservative U.K. MP Tom Tudendhat told the radio outlet LBC that Townsend's decision to join the Russian army was "unbelievably stupid."
Multiple British nationals have been killed fighting for Ukraine in Russia's full-scale war, but Townsend's death marks the first time a U.K. citizen has died fighting alongside occupying Russian forces.
The news of Townsend's death comes amid U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first visit to Ukraine to celebrate the nation's 35th Independence Day. On Aug. 24, the U.K also announced a landmark deal with Ukraine to develop new AI military systems and plans to share blueprints for its Storm Shadow missiles with Ukraine.
