A British Man Was Killed Fighting On Russia's Side For The First Time
- 25.08.2026, 8:46
He went off to fight for Putin, but ended up chasing a drone.
Bradley Townsend, a 33-year-old from South Yorkshire , was killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The British national went to fight on the side of the Russian Federation and became the first citizen of his country to be killed in combat while serving in the Russian Armed Forces.
The man, described by the British media as an “ordinary fisherman,” was killed on June 10 by a drone strike in the Donetsk region. This was reported on August 24 by the publication Daily Mail.
How a British Man Went to War on the Side of Russia
Bradley Townsend joined the Russian army in April 2026 without any military experience. He explained his decision by saying he wanted to “repay” the miners of Ukraine’s Donbas region for donating a month’s salary to the people of Yorkshire during the miners’ strike in the 1980s. At the same time, Townsend emphasized that he was fully aware of the potential consequences of his actions and that no one had forced him to do anything.
“I came here thinking that I probably wouldn’t be able to return home. I’ll definitely be persecuted if I go back. I’m not here on a suicide mission, but I understand that it could come to that. This was my own decision; no one forced me to do anything,” Townsend wrote on social media.
The other British nationals serving in the Russian armed forces praised Townsend for his decision. In particular, Aiden Minnis, a British national, shared on social media that he had spent some time with Bradley even before he signed his contract.
“We discussed the danger he would face, but he insisted that he had already made up his mind… In the end, he sacrificed his life for our cause,” Minnis noted.
At the same time, one of Townsend’s acquaintances revealed to reporters that the man allegedly had a history of mental health issues and substance abuse.
It is reported that Townsend was killed in June during an assault operation. This occurred as a result of a strike by a remotely piloted FPV drone.
Townsend reportedly died in June during an assault operation. He was killed by a strike from a remotely piloted FPV drone.
Former British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat stated that he “feels very sorry for him and his family,” but that joining the Russian armed forces was “an incredibly foolish move.”