Briton fighting for Russia killed in Ukraine

• Bradley Townsend, a 33-year-old British national from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was killed in Ukraine on June 10.
• He was reportedly fighting for Russian forces and died in a drone attack in the Donetsk region.
• Townsend had told his family he was going to Romania when he left the UK in April.
• He appeared in a Russian recruitment video in April, acknowledging the risks of fighting for Russia.
• The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed awareness of the reports and is in contact with the family.

Bradley Townsend, a 33-year-old British national from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has reportedly been killed in Ukraine while fighting for Russia. His death on June 10 is believed to be the first of a British citizen fighting on the Russian side in the conflict.

Townsend had reportedly told his family he was going to Romania when he left the UK in April. He appeared in a Russian recruitment video shared online on April 4, alongside fellow Britons Ben Stimson and Aiden Minnis, who had reportedly received Russian citizenship for fighting in the occupied Donbas region. In the video, Townsend described himself as "a normal working-class lad from Yorkshire" and acknowledged the possibility of not being able to return home or facing persecution if he did.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was aware of reports of a British national's death in Ukraine and is in contact with the family. The FCDO advises against all travel to Russia and states that its ability to provide consular support there is severely limited. The FCDO also warns that travelling to Ukraine to fight or assist others engaged in the war could lead to prosecution upon return to the UK.

Several British nationals have been killed in the war, but they were all fighting for Ukraine.