The mother of the first known British national to die fighting for Russia in Ukraine has shared her distress, stating her son claimed he was going to Romania, not the conflict zone. Bradley Townsend, 33, from Barnsley, died in a drone strike on June 10 in Lyman, located in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

Townsend, who had no prior military experience, reportedly enlisted in the Russian army in April, telling his mother, Maureen, that he intended to travel. She expressed that Russia is currently refusing to cooperate with the British government in facilitating the return of his body to the UK, adding to the family's suffering.

"He was going to go travelling for a year, and I was glad about that because he had two failed relationships," Maureen told the Daily Mail. "He said 'I'm going to go travelling.' He had claimed he was visiting Romania and posted pictures of his travels."

Townsend's call sign was 'Badger'. His family, including his mother and two siblings, learned he had joined the Russian forces after he appeared in a video for the Russian International Volunteers Association on April 4. In the video, Townsend described himself as "a normal working-class lad from Yorkshire."

His family has no connections to Russia. Townsend himself stated in a social media post that his motivation for joining was to "repay the favour" to miners in the Donbas who had donated to striking miners in Yorkshire during the 1980s. He acknowledged the risks, stating, "I came with the idea that I probably wouldn't be able to go home. I'd definitely get persecuted if I went back."

Other Britons fighting for Russia have paid tribute to Townsend. Aiden Minnis posted on Facebook that Townsend "wanted to help the people of Russia defeat the Nazis." Ben Stimson, who had previously been jailed in the UK for joining a Russian-backed militia, wrote on Telegram that he had advised Townsend against fighting but that Townsend was "adamant he wanted to go and fight."

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat commented on the situation, expressing sorrow for Townsend and his family but calling his decision "unbelievably stupid" and "extremely misguided." He added that joining the Russian armed forces is "criminal" due to the army's alleged involvement in war crimes.

The Foreign Office confirmed it is aware of reports of a British national's death in Ukraine and is in contact with the family.