Key facts
- Fladung's mother told ABC Investigations she had not heard from her son since late June.
- Unconfirmed reports online suggested Fladung, nicknamed "Dundee," was killed in a drone strike; his death is unverified.
- ABC reported Fladung is the first Australian known to have joined Russia's military since the 2022 full-scale invasion.
- Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to confirm whether it had information on his disappearance.
- Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said nearly 46,000 foreigners from 151 countries have signed Russian military contracts since 2022.
An Australian man who traveled to Russia to join its military in the war against Ukraine has been missing for nearly five months and is feared dead, Australian broadcaster ABC reported on November 10.
Daryl Fladung, a 38-year-old security guard from Queensland, flew to Moscow in April despite having no previous military experience or known family ties to Eastern Europe. According to ABC, two pro-Russian British nationals, Ben Stimson and Bradley Townsend, met him at a Moscow airport; the broadcaster said both were involved in helping foreign nationals join Russia's war.
A Russian military document reviewed by ABC showed Fladung signed a contract with the Russian army on April 29. After basic military training he reported injuries to his knee and heel, and in a Telegram post on June 10 he said he had been ordered to take part in a frontline assault despite not having fully recovered.
His mother told ABC Investigations she had not heard from him since late June, shortly after he was reportedly sent to the front line. "I think he's an idiot for doing it. But there's nothing I can do about it," she said. "I just want to know if my son's alive." She said she believed he had been recruited online and was struggling with financial problems and depression.
Unconfirmed reports circulating online suggested Fladung, who used the nickname "Dundee," had been killed in a drone strike. His death has not been independently verified. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to confirm whether it had information about his disappearance.
ABC reported that Fladung is the first Australian known to have joined Russia's military since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia has been recruiting foreign nationals, often offering financial incentives and Russian citizenship; Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said nearly 46,000 foreigners from 151 countries and unrecognized territories have signed contracts with the Russian military since 2022.