A Texas seasoned who fled the United States to combat for Russia successful occupied Ukraine was recovered murdered aft being allegedly kidnapped by Putin's soldiers.
Russell Bentley, 64, was detained by Russian troops successful Donetsk connected April 8, successful a portion wherever helium had been warring for Putin's forces since 2014 aft the annexation of Crimea.
Eleven days aft helium vanished, Bentley turned up dead, amid allegations helium was picked up by soldiers mistaking him for an American oregon NATO spy.
The decease has reportedly sparked a media tempest successful Russia aft Bentley had antecedently been a propaganda favourite successful the nation, including landing a reporting relation with state-run Sputnik-TV.
Russell Bentley, 64, a Texan who fled the US successful 2014 to articulation Russian forces pursuing Putin's annexation of Crimea, was recovered murdered 11 days aft helium was taken by Russian troops
A erstwhile US Army soldier, Bentley became a fashionable propaganda fig successful Russia pursuing his determination to articulation its military. His decease came amid reports that helium was mistaken for an American spy
Bentley fled to Russia successful the aftermath of Putin's archetypal penetration of Ukraine successful 2014, which killed much than 14,000 radical successful Donetsk and Luhansk successful 2 years.
As a erstwhile US Army soldier, helium became a favourite of Russian propagandists, helping to bolster their communicative implicit the annexation arsenic helium was portrayed arsenic a 'true American.'
However, helium became embroiled successful Russian ultranationalist circles during the conflict, and his decease has made him the latest successful a fig of leaders of the annexation of eastbound Ukraine to amusement up dead, reports the Wall Street Journal.
It is unclear precisely however Bentley - known arsenic the Donbass Cowboy - was killed oregon what the crushed was for his detainment earlier this month, nevertheless unverified reports said helium was kidnapped by 'unknown radical successful subject uniforms.'
Eastern European quality outlet NEXTA also claimed that Bentley was raped and killed by his chap soldiers aft they mistook him for a NATO spy.
'Some Russian warfare correspondents suggested that aft the rape, 1 of the officers said that it was nary longer imaginable to fto the American go, truthful they decided to termination him,' the outlet said successful a tweet.
His prominence successful the Russian ultranationalist question whitethorn person been the crushed helium was targeted, with members falling retired of favour with Putin pursuing the Wagner paramilitary group's failed coup successful June 2023.
Followers felt that Russia was not moving aggressively capable successful its penetration of Ukraine, but its momentum was mostly thwarted erstwhile its apical generals - including warlord person Yevgeny Prigozhin - were blown up successful a level bombing past year.
Amid murky details implicit his death, Bentley's demise has besides been blamed connected wide lawlessness successful the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Marat Gelman, a erstwhile elder enforcement of Russian authorities TV who aboriginal became an hostile of Putin’s regime, told the WSJ: 'The authorities tin nary longer power the xenophobia that they are igniting themselves, and immoderate foreigner has go an enemy.'
Bentley went missing connected April 8, reports said. Local quality outlets said helium had disappeared aft a territory successful the metropolis of Donetsk was shelled by Ukrainian forces
Bentley was a erstwhile cause trader and convicted felon who escaped situation successful 1999, aft antecedently being an unsuccessful campaigner for the US Senate successful Minnesota
On Telegram, a fashionable encrypted societal media platform, rumors of Bentley's decease circulated quickly.
Former Ukrainian lawmaker Oleg Tsaryov, who was a starring proponent of Putin's penetration successful 2022, said connected the level that Bentley's killers should beryllium 'found and punished', and if they weren't, 'prepare yourself for different affairs.'
'And enactment that lone the stories of media-famous personalities aboveground successful the press—and however galore stories of non-media-famous radical are determination that we don’t cognize about?' helium wrote.
Before helium was kidnapped, the arguable Texan decided to caput straight into struggle erstwhile helium was waiting with his woman Lyudmila astatine an administrative bureau successful Donetsk, arsenic she said they 'saw a immense file of fume aft a strike.'
'Russell rushed to assistance the locals and soon stopped communicating,' his woman said.
As reported by the Kyiv Post, Lyudmila - 'or idiosyncratic claiming to beryllium her' - shared a video pursuing his disappearance, saying she recovered 'reliable accusation that is ironclad and does not rise immoderate doubts' that helium was 'detained illegally.'
In a clip shared to Bentley's societal media, she had besides claimed that she went to look for her hubby aft helium went to articulation the conflict, but was incapable to find him.
Lyudmila added that she recovered his car, which contained lone his chapeau and smashed phone.
The US Embassy successful Ukraine said it was alert of reports of Bentley's death, saying: 'Whenever we larn of the decease of a U.S. national successful Ukraine, we question to get successful interaction with the household and supply each imaginable consular assistance.'
In 2022, Rolling Stone mag ran an interrogation with Bentley titled The Bizarre Story of How a Hardcore Texas Leftist Became a Frontline Putin propagandist
A pistillate purporting to beryllium Bentley's woman Lyudmila appeared successful a video pursuing his disappearance, saying she recovered 'reliable accusation that is ironclad and does not rise immoderate doubts' that helium was 'detained illegally'
Born Russell Bonner Bentley III, his prominence successful Russia sparked intrigue into wherefore a Texas autochthonal had specified an affinity for the hostile nation.
In 2022, helium was profiled successful a Rolling Stone nonfiction titled 'The Bizarre Story of How a Hardcore Texas Leftist Became a Frontline Putin propagandist', wherever helium elaborate his aboriginal involvement successful far-left politics.
'I grew up successful a precise exclusive country of Dallas called Highland Park... It's fundamentally the Beverly Hills of Dallas,' helium said.
He was the 'black sheep' of his household and - arsenic a teen - was drawn to hard near causes, including communist ideas and anti-Vietnam War leaders.
'I was speechmaking Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara... I understood the Vietnamese were close to support their onshore against overseas invaders, and that the United States was wrong.
'I understood that Fidel and Che were close to overthrow the overseas masters that had turned Cuba into a casino and bordello.'
Bentley has said: 'I'm anti-racist. I'm anti-imperialist.
'I grew up supporting people's rights to support themselves.'
A erstwhile cause dealer, Bentley was convicted successful 1996 for cause trafficking, but fled 3 years into his five-year condemnation successful a situation escape.
He remained a fugitive until 2007, and was ordered to service retired the remainder of his condemnation successful a maximum-security prison.
He was besides notably a campaigner for the US Senate successful Minnesota successful 1990, winning 1.65 percent of the ballot connected a level mostly revolving astir cannabis legalization.
Bentley, 64, a self-declared protagonist of Russian-backed forces successful Ukraine, joined pro-Russian fighters successful eastbound Ukraine successful 2014 and utilized the subject call-sign 'Texas'
Following Putin's penetration successful 2014, helium broke up with his yoga-instructor woman to articulation Russian forces, contempt speaking astir nary Russian.
At the time, helium justified the determination arsenic helium felt helium was 'on the small guys' side, defending bully radical against abjectly evil people.
He added to Rolling Stone: 'This is the battle, not conscionable of Ukraine.
'This is the conflict betwixt good-and-evil for the aboriginal of the world.
'And close now, it's looking similar the satellite mightiness conscionable person a accidental due to the fact that america and our friends are kicking immoderate Nazi ass close now.'
Although his ultranationalist views saw him reportedly autumn retired of favour with the Kremlin, helium shared a connection of enactment erstwhile Putin launched his full-scale penetration successful 2022.
'Heading West with the Liberators of Ukraine. We whitethorn halt successful Kiev, we whitethorn halt connected the English Channel. We whitethorn liberate the USA,' helium wrote connected Russian societal media platform, VKontakte.
He was besides said to person adopted the sanction Boris portion successful Russia.
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