Russian Soldiers Jailed for Torturing Pro-Kremlin American to Death
Four Russian soldiers have been sentenced for torturing and killing Russell “Texas” Bentley, a pro-Moscow American who fought alongside Kremlin-backed forces in eastern Ukraine.
Bentley, a Texas native and outspoken propagandist, joined Russian-backed separatists in 2014. He frequently posted videos promoting Moscow’s war in Ukraine and produced content for Russian state media.
The court said the troops detained Bentley in April 2024 while he was preparing to film the aftermath of a Ukrainian strike, mistakenly believing the 64-year-old was an American spy.
The court said the soldiers “reported to their military unit command on the discovery of a saboteur,” before placing him in a car with a bag on his head, where they “beat and tortured” him to “get a confession.” His body was then put in the trunk and the car was blown up, the court said.
Major Vitaly Vansyatsky and Lieutenant Andrei Iordanov were sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony and stripped of their military ranks. Sergeant Vladislav Agaltsev received 11 years, while another soldier was sentenced to 18 months for “concealing crimes.”
The news comes as Russia continues efforts to enlist foreign fighters to bolster its forces in Ukraine, with North Koreans and Africans among those reported to have joined.
Bentley, a former U.S. Army serviceman, had obtained Russian citizenship and presented himself as the only American fighting for Moscow.
He was affiliated with the Russia-based communist group Essence of Time, which aims to create a “USSR 2.0,” according to BBC News. Bentley’s videos, hosted on the group’s YouTube page, encouraged other Americans to join him in eastern Ukraine.
