Four Russian soldiers have been charged with the torture and murder of Russell Bentley, a 64-year-old American citizen who joined pro-Russia forces in Ukraine, according to Russia’s top investigative body. The soldiers involved in the case are Vitaly Vansyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin, and Andrei Iordanov. The investigation found that Vansyatsky, Agaltsev, and Iordanov tortured Bentley to death before Vansyatsky and Agaltsev blew up a car with Bentley’s body inside. Bazhin is accused of helping to hide the remains by moving them to another location the following day.
The soldiers are facing charges including abuse of power resulting in death, desecration of a body, and attempted concealment of a serious crime. Currently, they are reviewing the charges before the indictment is finalized for trial.
Bentley went missing in April in Donetsk, a city under Russian control in eastern Ukraine. At that time, Margarita Simonyan, Editor-in-Chief of Russia Today (RT), revealed on Telegram that information had emerged suggesting Bentley had been killed.
Bentley joined the pro-Russian Vostok Battalion in 2014 and fought against Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region. He became an outspoken supporter of Russian-backed separatists and worked as a journalist for Sputnik news service affiliated with the Kremlin. In 2021 he was granted Russian citizenship.
The motive behind Bentley’s killing remains unclear; however some reports suggest he may have been mistaken for an American spy. There has been speculation from Russian media that confusion over his background could have contributed to his murder.
This case represents a rare public trial for Russian soldiers accused of serious crimes committed during their presence in Ukraine.
