Benjamin Stimson

Former occupation: Antiques dealer (jewellery and ceramics) in the UK 

Current role: Military trainer and recruiter, Russian Armed Forces 

Criminal record: Convicted of terror offences in the UK in 2015; served approximately six years and four months in prison

What He Did

Stimson's path to Russia began in 2015 when his antiques business was struggling. Spending increasing amounts of time online, he made contact with Interbrigades - a pro-Russian foreign volunteer network built around former members of Russia's National Bolshevik Party. Through the network he was recruited by Ayo Benes, a Latvian National Bolshevik of Russian-Ugandan origin who had participated in Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and was known as "Black Lenin."

In August 2015, Stimson was deployed to the pro-Russian separatist-held city of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine, where he joined the 4th Company of the Pyatnashka international brigade. After three months - during which he complained of a lack of weapons, food and pay - he returned to Britain and was arrested at Manchester airport. He was convicted of terror offences and served nearly seven years in prison.

After his release, Stimson claimed to want to rebuild his life in Oldham. He moved in with his father, a former local councillor, and attempted to revive his antiques business. In February 2024, he returned to Russia and signed a professional military contract with the Russian army.

He initially served as an engineer repairing power generators, away from the front line. When Russian commanders discovered he could speak English, they began using him to translate orders for foreign recruits. His superiors were satisfied with his performance and gave him responsibility for training incoming foreign fighters himself.

The recruits Stimson trains are aged between 20 and 50 and come predominantly from Africa. He drills them in weapon handling, navigation through forested terrain and basic first aid - a crash course before deployment to assault positions. "The training is intensive," he told the Daily Mail. "Each man knew what his job was and what he had to do."

By his own account, Stimson has witnessed hundreds of foreign mercenaries move through the pipeline. He denies being a recruiter but acknowledges helping at least ten foreign fighters join the war. He has publicly stated that the idea that recruits are deceived is "laughable."

The Daily Mail showed Stimson a photograph to a Congolese prisoner of war, Christian Ilunga (pseudonym), held at the Lviv POW camp in Ukraine. Ilunga identified two of Stimson's trainees in the photo - men from Mozambique he had known in Moscow. "They are likely dead," Ilunga said. "The training offered by Russia is not enough. For people who have never been in combat before, they are being sent in blind."

In February or March 2026, Stimson received Russian citizenship, with the backing of State Duma lawmaker Maria Butina and the United Russia party. He joined United Russia shortly after. "I was so proud. I've sworn allegiance to Russia," he said, adding he still considers himself British.

Stimson is also a node in a broader far-left recruitment network. He was present at the founding of Sovintern - a Kremlin-backed international socialist network launched at Moscow's House of Unions in April 2026, opened with a welcoming address from Vladimir Putin. His associate Aiden Minnis has publicly called on Western supporters to locate and sabotage facilities supplying weapons to Ukraine. Stimson personally received Bradley Townsend (a fisherman from Yorkshire with no military experience, killed at the front), Darryl Fladung (an Australian supermarket security guard) and Ryan Gallant (a Canadian professional helicopter pilot) on their arrivals in Russia.

Vitalii Matvienko of Ukraine's I Want to Live project said: "Like other high-profile foreign supporters of Russia, Ben Stimson's primary value lies in propaganda - helping create the illusion that Putin's regime enjoys understanding and support around the world."