Former UK Soldier Joins Russian Military
Former British Army soldier Michael Jones, codenamed Tommy, serves in the 61st Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Consensus
- Michael Jones Lee Gareth is a former British soldier who joined the Russian military.
- He is currently undergoing training in the Donbass region.
- He is serving in a Russian battalion equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
- He arrived in Russia in 2018 and later moved to Saint Petersburg.
- He has been granted Russian citizenship and a military ID.
- He has been recognized as an 'agent' by the UK under the National Security Act.
- He has been labeled a 'terrorist' on the Ukrainian website 'Mirotvorets' for providing humanitarian aid to children in Donbass.
- He claims he was targeted by British forces during his service in Russia.
Points of divergence
- He joined the 61st Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces and serves in a battalion of unmanned aerial vehicles. — riamo
- He is undergoing intensive training at a Russian military training ground in the 'Center' grouping area in Donbass. — vesti
- He is currently undergoing training at one of the military training grounds of the 'Center' grouping of forces. — tg_tass_agency
- He was recruited into the Russian marine infantry by a political officer. — riamo
- He was inspired to move to Russia after a 2018 trip to Saint Petersburg and later began helping children in Donbass. — vesti
- He claims he was not disappointed in his service and considers the Russian marine infantry comparable to the British Royal Marines. — riamo
- He was motivated to join the Russian military after a Ukrainian drone attack on Saint Petersburg. — vesti
- He claims he was nearly killed by British forces during his time in Russia. — riamo
- He has been in Russia for nearly three years before joining the military. — vesti
Coverage (3 sources)
- Former soldier of the British Army calls Russian Marines professionals — РИАМО
- British former Marine Michael Jones Lee Garrett became a drone operator in Russia — Вести
- Former British Army soldier joins ranks of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. As Michael Jones Lee Garret told TASS in an interview, he is now p... — ТАСС (Telegram)