Kathrine Frich
Despite having “no remorse” over killing Ukrainian troops, Fraser said he has “great respect” for them.
Despite having “no remorse” over killing Ukrainian troops, Fraser said he has “great respect” for them.
From Scotland to the Front Lines
Jay Fraser, a 24-year-old from Scotland, left his home last summer to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
He says he initially joined to combat what he saw as Western “cultural rot” and has since claimed to have killed “double digits” of Ukrainian soldiers.
From Believer to Disillusioned Fighter
While Fraser says he still “wholeheartedly” believes in a Kremlin victory, he admits he has “no great love for Russia or her people.”
“My entire ideological reasoning for coming here collapsed in on itself; I truly realised that I am a Celt and will never be of the Rus,” he told The Telegraph.
Life in the Russian Military
Fraser served with the Pyatnashka artillery mercenary group, now part of the Russian military.
His first deployment was to Russia’s Kursk region in 2024, repelling a Ukrainian incursion.
He later served in Donetsk and around Kramatorsk near Bakhmut, where he narrowly avoided a kamikaze drone strike.
Surviving the Battlefield
He recalled how his unit got “incredibly lucky” surviving an attack on an ammunition stockpile, which caused secondary explosions.
Fraser also described theft among troops as common, saying some soldiers befriended him only to borrow money without repayment.
“Made a lot of great friends, but also been burned a few times which has definitely, again, contributed to me becoming less and less of a Russia lover,” he said.
Language Barriers and Citizenship Problems
Fraser’s basic Russian language skills have caused issues.
His failed citizenship application has left him confined to base unless accompanied by an officer.
“There’s no logical reason behind it. We do the exact same work they do, and we’re contracted to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Russia,” he argued.
Respect for Ukrainian Forces
Despite having “no remorse” over killing Ukrainian troops, Fraser said he has “great respect” for them.
“Ukraine as an idea or nation has been proved as valid through the baptism of blood it has gone through,” he said, though he believes this sentiment is not shared widely among Russian troops.
