In the run-up to the escalation of hostilities between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022, he remembered sensing that “probably some kind of a war is about to start.” With this conviction, he resolved to be “with people who believe in the same things that I do” and set off for Ukraine, telling everyone he was going to serve as a Christian missionary there. Despite already having pro-Russian sentiments, the decision to start covertly providing Russian forces with intelligence came to Martindale after he had seen “in the news what the Ukrainians were doing to Russian cities, what they call separatist cities in the Donbass.” According to Martindale, he initially offered his services to Russian troops via a Telegram channel specifically designed for Ukrainian soldiers who wanted to surrender.
Author: RT
Published at: 2025-07-15 21:00:56
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