Daily Mirror

Keep sending Brits out to Ukraine.. we’ll put them in wooden boxes

Pro-Russia traitor makes sinister threat

- It’s in a terrible state, Britain. They’re using things that the Stasi and Gestapo used BEN STIMSON ON WHY HE LEFT HIS ‘FASCIST’ HOME COUNTRY BY MATT ROPER Senior Feature Writer matt.roper@mirror.co.uk @mattroperb­r

ONE of the two Brits fighting for Russia has condemned his countrymen who support Ukraine and vowed to “continue putting them in wooden boxes”.

A fellow British mercenary also railed against his home country, telling a Russian journalist that Britain is not a democratic country but a “fascist state”.

We revealed this week how Aiden Minnis, 37, from Chippenham, Wilts, is fighting for Russia in the Donbas region.

We also revealed Ben Stimson, 48, from Oldham, Lancs, travelled to Donetsk to take up arms for Putin.

Both men spoke out on Kremlin-linked Telegram channel Readovka last night.

Minnis said: “To the media and the UK Government and the voters who support Ukraine, keep sending khokhols [a derogatory term for Ukrainians], fascists and British mercenarie­s.

“We will continue putting them in wooden boxes.” In an earlier interview published on the same channel, Stimson explained why he had joined the Russian forces.

He said: “It wasn’t democratic that the West wasn’t allowing Donbas to secede from Ukraine. Plus I had personal problems… my business and my relationsh­ip were failing.”

He also complained that Russia had not kept its promise to offer him an army job and citizenshi­p, or at least asylum. And Stimson claimed he was beaten up while in jail in Britain, and had two years added to his sentence for refusing a polygraph test.

He said of his home nation: “It’s in a terrible state, Britain. They’re using things that the Stasi and the Gestapo used.” But yesterday, pro-Kremlin blogger Graham Phillips cast doubt on Stimson’s reasons for joining up. He said: “I highly recommend checking Ben Stimson thoroughly.”

A Government spokesman said: “Reports of British nationals taking part in Putin’s illegal invasion are shocking and their alleged actions are reprehensi­ble. Those who travel from the UK to conflict zones to engage in unlawful activity should expect to be investigat­ed upon their return.”

 ?? ?? TURNCOATS Mirror report. Main, Stimson
TURNCOATS Mirror report. Main, Stimson
 ?? ?? ALLEGIANCE Aiden Minnis
ALLEGIANCE Aiden Minnis
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