Days After the First British National Was Confirmed Killed Fighting for Russia, Moscow Paraded Another on State TV as Its Newest Recruit.

Michael Lee Gareth Jones, 40, from Enfield, North London, appeared Russian state television, presented as a British recruit training as an FPV drone operator with Russia's 61st Marine Brigade. His appearance came days after Bradley Townsend, 33, was confirmed as the first British national killed while fighting for Russia.

Jones moved to St Petersburg in 2018 and married a Russian woman. They have a four-year-old son together. He also has two daughters born in the UK. In his interviews to Russian TV Jones confirmed he had served in the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, now part of The Rifles, leaving after one year. 

Propaganda Asset

Russia's use of Jones on TV is deliberate. Showcasing Western nationals serving in Russia's army serves a specific purpose in Russian state media: it frames the war as something more than Russia against Ukraine, suggesting that people from NATO countries themselves reject the Western position and choose Russia's side.

Bradley Townsend was used the same way. He appeared in a video on a Russian propaganda account in April 2026, describing himself as "a normal working-class lad from Yorkshire." Two months later he was dead - killed by the same type of FPV drone Jones is now training to operate.

See also: Sovintern - the path from Western far-left activism to the Russian front

The propaganda value Russia extracts from Western recruits does not translate into protection for them at the front. Ukrainian forces are not checking nationalities before engaging Russian positions. Being featured on TV show does not move a soldier away from the frontline - it just makes him useful to the Kremlin's narrative while he is still alive.

The Safe Way Out

For anyone already inside Russia's military - Western national or otherwise - the I Want to Live project is a reliable path to getting out alive. Read more details on how to save your life while being in Russia's army here.

Source: The Sun