Exclusive: Russell Bentley, Tx Man in the Russian Armed forces, Says He or she is ‘Liberating’ Ukraine

Traditions one of several expert-Russian competitors consuming the fresh ДЊeДЌen Еѕene osobe new Donbas area for Ukraine are a former American soldier, Colorado local Russell Bentley.

Given the codename “Texas” immediately following joining new , Bentley ran viral the 2009 times having sharing video footage off themselves on “leading line” with Russian soldiers marching from the Donbas.

Once the guy caught the eye of people on the internet, Newsweek exclusively spoke so you can Bentley about precisely how men out-of Austin-a self-proclaimed former “surfer, beach boy-particular people”-finished up flying so you can Ukraine to participate and you will fight with this new Donetsk Mans Republic (DPR).

Bentley’s travel to Ukraine

For the March, the world checked towards the just like the Russian pushes already been related the latest border from Ukraine. For weeks Russian authorities got refused plans to reside, but Bentley although some from inside the DPR know that was upcoming.

“It wasn’t a surprise to me. It actually was a surprise to numerous idiots one consider by themselves, you realize, geopolitical analysts from the Western,” Bentley informed Newsweek. “30 days before individuals were ridiculing me to own saying: ‘Hey, you know what? Now they mean business.'”

Bentley, a personal-proclaimed communist, very first place base into the Donetsk towards the , but his coming into the Ukraine is lengthy coming.

He had been produced with the an effective “wealthy, really upper-middle-group relatives” within the Highland Park, Dallas, Colorado, good “really elitist” area, centered on Bentley. As an earlier people the guy offered on U.S. Military, purchasing ten years located in Germany and you will traveling “extensively” across Europe.

He had been an excellent demolition expert and you may handle engineer just before being supplied a keen respectable discharge. After that, then existed for the Southern Padre Isle, Colorado, where his family members got a restaurant. He invested 7 age in the urban area just like the a “surfer, coastline boy-particular guy” ahead of moving to Minneapolis, in which he created an interest in politics.

He was a part of marches and you will protests against the basic and you may 2nd Gulf Battles, and states was a supporter to own immigration legal rights, women’s rights and you may gay legal rights.

The guy turned into increasingly disappointed which have America’s overseas formula and turned into “disgusted and you can frustrated” because of the NATO’s 2011 intervention within the Libya. He set into the action when he failed to must feel good “punk” and only “talk about how dreadful it had been towards the Twitter.”

Inside the 2014 into the Odessa, Ukraine, those individuals were killed while in the a clash between pro- and anti-Euromaiden demonstrators. Viewing video footage on the on line, Bentley told you: “Guess what, I am planning to visit Ukraine, and you may I’ll eliminate the Nazis one to performed this, and I’m going to guard individuals, innocent civilians.”

Russia enjoys warranted their campaign facing Ukraine because of the saying they might be assaulting neo-Nazis, and it also aims to “denazify” the country. But not, dozens of historians keeps signed an open page condemning Russia’s procedures and you can rhetoric. Laura Kockusch, a professor away from Holocaust training from the Brandeis University inside the Massachusetts, told NPR that words is part of “a great fictional which is used by the Putin to justify his battle from aggression on Ukraine.”

Proceeded their travel from the U.S. so you’re able to Ukraine, Bentley said: “I had a fantastic job, I got an effective girlfriend, I got good lives. I was comfortable. I made a great thousand bucks weekly bucks, conversing with people since the a salesperson. My girlfriend is actually a pilates teacher twenty years younger than just me, cousin. Zero crap.”

Bentley packaged his bags, rode his motorcycle in order to Dallas together with your final Thanksgiving having his family. He ended up selling their motorcycle and you can got to your an airplane so you’re able to Moscow.

Attacking Ukrainians to the front side range

Traveling of Rostov in order to Donetsk, Bentley fulfilled a buddy he’d experienced touch which have, a journalist revealing throughout the urban area. Seven days later, he joined the new military to your Vostok Battalion, an excellent Russian militant group working throughout the Donbas region.