The Russian military has introduced training for English speakers who want to fight for Moscow in Ukraine, according to a Manchester man serving in the Kremlin’s army.
Ben Stimson, 48, who has fought for pro-Russian forces in Ukraine since 2015, said English-speaking instructors are available, but warned that it was better to learn Russian “for when combat starts” and the other soldiers “switch back” to their mother tongue.
He made the claims in a new Telegram channel to start encouraging more people to follow in his footsteps, claiming anyone “under 60” can sign up.
Russia has allowed foreigners to join its armed forces since 2010, however strict language and age requirements were in place until the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when the Kremlin began to relax military enlistment rules.
Videos posted on Russian Telegram channels show Russian army recruits, who are described as coming from Nepal and Africa, being trained by men who were speaking broken English.
As well as recruiting globally, Russia has suffered so many casualties in Ukraine that officials have turned to convicted criminals to keep up momentum on the front lines for little territorial gain.
In what he calls a “guide on volunteering with Russian forces”, Stimson gives information on avoiding detention at UK airports when flying to Russia, finding recruitment centres and what to expect after enlisting.
“Usually after signing [up] you are sent right away to basic training,” Stimson said, while adding that the training usually lasts one month.
Responding to comments from people expressing interest in joining up, Stimson said that “as long as you don’t turn up drunk/on drugs and are reasonably healthy you’ll get in if you’re under 60”.
Stimson said that he himself does not serve in an “assault unit”, but one that guards a “defensive line”.
The 48 year-old was convicted of a terrorism offence in 2017 for fighting alongside pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region of Ukraine, but he has insisted he was not a terrorist and described his motivation for serving Moscow as ideological.
Referring to the Euromaidan revolution of 2014 in Ukraine, when Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russian Ukrainian president, was overthrown by protestors after choosing closer ties to the Kremlin instead of the European Union.
Mr Yanukovich said at the time that he “felt it was an undemocratic coup organised by the European Union”.
On his channel, Stimson said he comes from a Left-wing family and described Jeremy Corbyn, the MP for Islington North, as a “good man, but not a great leader”.
He also said he held admiration for George Galloway, leader of the Workers Party of Great Britain, who has expressed anti-Nato views, but would vote for Nigel Farage and Reform UK if Mr Galloway’s party was not on the ballot paper.
One of his posts shows the gravestone of a man who Stimson said was from Northern Ireland and had Russian roots.
According to Stimson, the man previously served in the British Army but turned to Russia after being traumatised by his service in Iraq.
Stimson says he was killed in the opening weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His gravestone is inscribed with his likeliness alongside the word “Irlandetz”, which means “Irishman” in Russian.
Another image shows Stimson posing with men in Russian army uniforms who, he says, are from Morocco.
“Good luck to my Moroccan brothers Saeed and Mahmood,” the caption states. “God/Allah be with you guys,” it adds.
Credit: Yahoo News