First Briton Confirmed Killed Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Bradley Townsend, a 33-year-old fisher from Barnsley, is believed to be the first British citizen killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine. He died in a drone strike near Lyman, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, on 10 June 2026. He left Britain in April, telling family he was heading to Romania. He had no combat experience and received Russian citizenship for enlisting. News of his death broke widely on 25 August.