RT: Suspects charged in murder of American in Donbass – Russia & Former USSR

Russian authorities have leveled accusations against four soldiers for the kidnapping and murder of Russell ‘Texas’ Bentley in Donetsk earlier this year. Bentley, a Texas native who joined the Donetsk People’s Republic militia in 2014 and worked as a stringer for Sputnik news agency, disappeared on April 8 during a Ukrainian artillery attack.

The suspects, identified as Vitaly Vasnyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin, and Andrey Iordanov, face charges including assault, torture causing death, and covering up the crime. The investigation revealed that the soldiers tortured Bentley, inadvertently causing his death, and then attempted to conceal it by destroying his car and relocating the body.

Bentley’s widow, Lyudmila, was instrumental in bringing attention to his disappearance, prompting an investigation that ultimately led to the suspects’ charges. Despite Vasnyatsky’s attempt to shoulder responsibility, none of the soldiers expressed remorse for their actions.

Director Alexander Korobko praised Lyudmila for her persistence, noting that Bentley’s legacy in the Donbass region will endure. Korobko emphasized that, in a spiritual sense, ‘Texas’ will live on forever.

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