An American fighting in the Russian army beaten to death by drunken tank operators?
American Russell Bentley has been fighting in Donbas on the side of Russia for nearly a decade. Recently, all news about him suddenly ceased. It's believed the 64-year-old was mistaken for a spy because of his accent and fatally beaten by drunken Russian officers.
It has been over two years since Russia's aggression towards Ukraine began. The battlefront has shifted over time, yet since 2014, the heart of military operations has been in Donbas. This conflict zone drew the attention of Texas native Russell Bentley, who aimed to combat what he called "Ukrainian Nazism."
Bentley was driven to join the war due to legal troubles in the United States. He had been convicted of drug trafficking and served five years in prison.
Since arriving in 2014, the Americans have been actively supporting Russian propaganda. Initially, he was involved in the looting of Ukrainian territories as a soldier. Eventually, he began to spread propaganda through his channel and local newspapers. A few days ago, news surfaced about Bentley being missing since April 8.
Is Russell Bentley dead? The first theory emerges
Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian politician, shared information from Telegram suggesting that Russian soldiers had killed the American blogger.
In early April, the 64-year-old was detained near Donetsk by military personnel from the 5th Brigade and then beaten to death by drunken tank operators because of alleged espionage for the USA and NATO. His accent reportedly aroused their suspicions.
The Russian authorities have remained silent on the issue, yet independent media outlets have demanded that the Kremlin clarify Bentley’s disappearance.
Bentley had taken Russian citizenship and married a Russian woman.
