The tenth measure of the Minsk II agreement calls for the withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries in eastern Ukraine. While this provision mostly refers to the thousands of Russian volunteers fighting on the side of the separatists in eastern Ukraine, there are also dozens — of perhaps hundreds — of foreign fighters from countries outside of Russia and Ukraine on both sides of the conflict, including Frenchmen, Brits, Spaniards, and other nationalities. Who are these foreign fighters, why have they come to Ukraine, and what do they do after the fighting stops?

This post will examine a few notable non-Russian foreign fighters who joined pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. A future post from DFRLab will examine foreign fighters who have fought on the Ukrainian side.

American Russell Bentley (“Texas”)

Perhaps the most colorful of the Western foreign fighters is the American 56-year-old Russell Bentley, who goes by the name “Texas.” While many foreign fighters are best known for the deeds on the battlefield, “Texas” has started a mini-media empire in Donetsk with a podcast (“Radio Free Donbass with Russell ‘Texas’ Bentley”), YouTube video dispatches (including Episode 22, “Testing a bulletproof vest of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”), and his own website (russelltexasbentley.com).

Where and when did he fight?

“Texas” does not fight much anymore, but he was in the thick of the conflict in 2014–5. A photograph uploaded in May 2015 shows him at the Donetsk Airport, with the Novohnativske cemetary to the south of the airport in the background.