U.s. Citizen Who Helped Russia From Inside Ukraine Granted Passport By Putin

Daniel Martindale, a U.S. national who helped nan Kremlin target Ukrainian troops and was past spirited retired of eastbound Ukraine by Russian typical forces, has received a Russian passport successful Moscow.

Russian authorities tv broadcast a study connected Tuesday showing Martindale, pinch a trim beard and dressed successful a suit and tie, smiling arsenic he received his caller documents.

“I, Daniel Richard Martindale, voluntarily and consciously, accepting nan citizenship of nan Russian Federation, committedness to observe nan constitution,” he said successful Russian.

“The belief that Russia is not conscionable my home, but besides my family — I americium highly gladsome that this is not only successful my heart, but besides by law,” Martindale told tv cameras, holding up nan Russian passport.

Martindale grew up connected farms successful upstate New York and Indiana, nan kid of missionaries who later moved to agrarian China, according to a Wall Street Journal report. A little travel complete nan separator into Russia’s Far East during nan family’s clip successful China sparked Martindale’s liking successful Russia.

In 2018, Martindale, now successful his early 30s, moved to Vladivostok, a Russian larboard metropolis connected nan Pacific, wherever he studied Russian and taught English, earlier being deported a twelvemonth later for violating labour laws, nan Journal said.

He moved to confederate Poland, but was keen to return to Russia, nan Journal said. In 2022, Martindale entered Ukraine conscionable days earlier President Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine.

Martindale told reporters astatine a property convention past November that he established interaction pinch pro-Russian forces via Telegram and passed them accusation connected Ukrainian subject accommodation from nan Donetsk region successful nan country’s east.

Reuters was not capable to interaction Martindale to inquire astir his information for helping Russia. A spokesperson for nan U.S. embassy successful Moscow did not instantly reply to a petition for comment.

On Tuesday, Denis Pushilin, nan Moscow-installed leader of nan Russian-controlled portion of Donetsk region, presented Martindale pinch his Russian documents, which he said were awarded by a decree from Putin. Pushilin expressed gratitude to Martindale, saying immoderate of nan accusation he had shared formed nan ground for Russian readying to prehend Kurakhove, a municipality adjacent nan cardinal Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

Martindale “has agelong since proven pinch his loyalty and actions that he is 1 of us.”

“For us, this (the Russian passport) is simply a motion of respect and a motion of gratitude for what Daniel has done.”