A Yorkshireman becomes the first Briton known to have died fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Bradley Townsend, 33, of South Yorkshire, was killed by a drone near Lyman in Ukraine's Donetsk region on June 10 while fighting for Russia, becoming the first known British citizen to die on that side of the war.

He had told family he was going to Romania before appearing in a pro-war Telegram video alongside two other British nationals who had already taken Russian citizenship; he said he expected persecution if he ever returned home.

A former friend said Townsend struggled with mental health and addiction and had been drawn into 'weird schemes,' though Townsend maintained the decision was his own, framing it partly as repayment for Donbas miners' support of striking Yorkshire miners in the 1980s.

Britain's Foreign Office said fighting for Russia could expose returnees to prosecution; researchers estimate mercenaries from at least 48 countries, including a handful from the US and several European nations, are fighting on Russia's side.

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