Overview

• Aiden Minnis, 38, posted a clip on social media showing himself torching a British passport before firing a rifle beside a Russian flag.
• He has long claimed Russian citizenship, but the document he displays is an internal ID not valid for foreign travel and offers no protection from UK prosecution or extradition if he travels west.
• The government condemned reports of Britons taking part in Russia’s invasion and reiterated that those involved in unlawful activity abroad will be investigated upon return.
• Minnis has previously boasted of frontline service, including laying explosives, and has claimed he received a Russian bravery medal.
• Kremlin‑linked outlet Readovka and pro‑Putin figures in Udmurtia were reported to have expedited his Russian documentation for propaganda effect.