The death of Bradley Townsend, a 33-year-old British fisherman who travelled to Russia to join its army, has been announced by a Russian propagandist and soldier linked to the recruitment of foreign fighters.
Townsend, from Burnley, reportedly told friends he was going on holiday to Romania before leaving Britain. About 10 weeks later, he was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack while advancing towards the contested city of Liman, according to the announcement.
Aiden Minnis, a convicted racist originally from Chippenham, said Townsend had been killed near Liman. Minnis described him by his call sign, “Badger”, and said he had “gone into the storm” before falling on the battlefield.
The Bradley Townsend death announcement portrayed the Briton as a volunteer who had knowingly accepted the risks of fighting for Russia. Minnis said he had spent time with Townsend in Moscow before the younger man signed his military contract.
According to Minnis, the pair discussed the dangers Townsend would face, but Townsend insisted that his decision was final. He was presented as someone who wanted to help Russia defeat what its propaganda describes as “Nazis”.
Minnis also claimed Townsend had travelled from Great Britain to Russia to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and fight against fascism. He described the British recruit’s service as brief, but said he had sacrificed his life for the Russian cause.
Bradley Townsend death follows decision to join Russian army
Townsend had no combat experience, having worked as a fisherman. His arrival in Moscow was treated as a propaganda opportunity, with footage made for YouTube in which he explained why he had chosen to fight for Russia.
In an interview recorded in April, Townsend described himself as a “normal working-class lad from Yorkshire” and said he wanted to support Russian separatists. He said miners in the Donbas had supported his own mining family during the strikes of the 1980s, when Margaret Thatcher’s government was attempting to close the mines.
Townsend acknowledged that he might not return home. He said he understood that joining the Russian army could become a suicide mission, although he insisted that he had not travelled to Russia intending to die and had not been pressured into the decision.
“This was my own decision,” he said in the interview.
Friends later described Townsend as vulnerable and said he had experienced addiction problems. They claimed those circumstances may have left him more open to being drawn into Russia’s cause, although the material does not provide further detail about his personal history.
Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat had previously condemned Townsend’s decision to join the Russian military. He said it was “incredibly stupid and deeply wrong” to enlist in an army accused of committing some of the most serious war crimes seen in decades.
The Bradley Townsend death comes as Russia continues its military campaign in Ukraine and seeks to exploit pressure on Kyiv’s air defences. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for more US-made Patriot interceptor missiles, saying Ukraine’s supplies have fallen.
Patriot supplies have been diverted to the Middle East since the outbreak of war with Iran, while Ukraine has received significantly fewer missiles this year than in previous years. Russia has attempted to take advantage of the shortage by increasing ballistic missile attacks.
Those strikes have killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100 over the past three days, according to the supplied material. The circumstances of Townsend’s death were described as a Ukrainian drone attack during his advance near Liman.
The Bradley Townsend death was announced online by Minnis, who portrayed the British recruit’s killing as a sacrifice for Russia. The announcement did not provide further details about the precise date of the attack or Townsend’s military unit.
Source: Metro News
