Kathrine Frich
A British man who defected to fight for Russia in Ukraine is believed to have died after going missing near the front.
Aiden Minnis, 39, has not been heard from for almost two weeks following reports he was deployed to heavy combat in eastern Ukraine.
Vanished at front
Concerns were first raised by Ben Stimson, the only other known Briton fighting for Moscow’s forces.
Writing online, he said: “Worried about my comrade Aiden Minnis. He’s not been seen for a week. I pray all is OK.”
He later added: “Please pray for Aiden. He’s currently missing.”
Minnis, originally from Chippenham in Wiltshire, last posted on social media on January 25, sharing an image of himself armed with a Kalashnikov-style rifle in a snow-covered woodland area believed to be near the front line.
Defiant past
In October, he filmed himself burning his British passport, declaring:
“F you Great Britain,” and “Glory to Russia,” before firing a rifle into the air.
His mother, Tina, previously said she had cut ties with him.
Online reaction to his disappearance has been hostile.
One commenter wrote: “A filthy piece of s fighting for the Russians against Ukraine. Possibly now drone meat.”
Dangerous sector
In one of his final posts, Minnis described the threat posed by Ukrainian drones, writing: “A Kalashnikov isn’t much good against a drone unless it’s hovering and isn’t a kamikazi.
“Need a shotgun ideally and needs to be close enough.
“If a kamikaze is near, you’re running or hiding.”
A follower asked him: “Still in Lyman direction?” referring to a fiercely contested area in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian military sources have reported dozens of clashes in the Lyman sector in recent days, highlighting the intensity of fighting there.
Criminal history
Minnis left the UK in 2022 and later said he had served as a sapper before joining a Russian motorised rifle unit operating in the Kharkiv region.
In 2024, it emerged that he and Stimson had travelled to Russia to join the war effort. Stimson, from Oldham, previously received a terrorism conviction for assisting pro-Russian separatists.
He described Minnis as his “best friend in the Russian army”.
Minnis had a criminal record in Britain, including a four-year prison sentence for a racist assault in Swindon.
Last year, he said he was “willing to die on the frontline”.
To date, no British nationals are known to have died fighting for Russia, while around 40 have been killed while defending Ukraine.
Sources: The Sun, Ukrainian military statements.
