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Time of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘One of us': US citizen who spied on Ukraine gets citizenship in Russia; says becoming Russian citizen was a ‘dream'
Image: X/@RT_com A US citizen who provided intelligence on Ukrainian troops to support Russia's military campaign has been granted Russian citizenship, officials announced Tuesday. Daniel Martindale spent two years in Ukraine following the start of Russia's invasion, passing along the coordinates of military sites to Russian intelligence services, as per Russia's state media. "By decree of our President Vladimir Putin, a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation was awarded to Daniel Martindale," said Denis Pushilin the head of the Russian-occupied Donetsk region in Ukraine, reported AP. Martindale received his passport at a ceremony in Moscow by the interior ministry officials, as per a video published by Pushilin and the state media. Martindale had "long since proven with his loyalty and actions that he is one of us,' said Pushilin. "He spent more than two years in the territory under enemy control. And not only did he survive -- he helped. He supported our guys, passed on important information to our special services, risked his life," he added. Martindale said that becoming a Russian citizen was a 'dream' for him and thanked Russia for 'accepting' him. "Russia is not only my home, but my family," he said in Russian. After two years of spying on Ukraine, Daniel Martindale was pulled out in what Pushilin described as "a complex evacuation operation," prompted by growing concerns in Moscow that his life would be at risk if he remained in the country. Russian state media reported that security forces brought Martindale to Russia in November 2024, where he subsequently submitted for his citizenship. "Hello, I'm Daniel Martindale, the guy that Russian soldiers risked their lives to evacuate from the village where I had lived for two years." a telegram account that claimed to be Martindale posted the same month. During that time, Martindale informed pro-Russian bloggers that he arrived in Ukraine shortly before Russia launched its offensive, in hopes of reaching the region of Donetsk. Martindale told bloggers that he reached out to Russian intelligence services on his own initiative and was instructed to travel to the city of Vuhledar and wait for Russian forces to arrive. He said he stayed in the city, posing as a missionary, until the fall of 2024, when Russian troops captured it following a prolonged battle, as reported by CBS news. Martindale was raised on farms in upstate New York and Indiana by missionary parents who later relocated to rural China. During his time there a short visit across the border into Russia's far east sparked his interest in the country, as per a Wall Street Journal report. In 2018, he moved to Vladivostok where he studied Russian and taught English but was deported from the country a year later for violating labour laws.
Kuwait Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait, Syria eye cooperation
Kuwait, Syria eye cooperation Sheikh Fahad meets counterpart in Damascus after high-profile Lebanon visit DAMASCUS: First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah held talks on Tuesday with Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab to explore avenues for strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly over combating drug trafficking and organized crime and exchanging security information and expertise. According to a statement issued by Kuwaiti interior ministry, the discussions focused on enhancing coordination across various security domains with the aim of supporting the safety and stability of both countries. The two ministers affirmed the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Kuwait and Syria and their mutual keenness to advance joint efforts through strengthened security cooperation. They also agreed to maintain ongoing consultations on issues of shared interest and to activate institutional coordination channels between their respective ministries. The meeting was attended by senior security officials from both sides. Sheikh Fahad arrived in Damascus earlier in the day from Beirut, concluding an official visit to Lebanon. He was received at Damascus International Airport by Syrian Deputy Minister of Interior for Police Affairs Maj Gen Ahmed Latouf and several high-ranking Syrian security officials. During his visit to Lebanon, Sheikh Fahad met President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar. Discussions during those meetings focused on enhancing Kuwaiti-Lebanese cooperation in political, parliamentary, economic and security fields, reflecting the shared commitment of both nations to regional stability and sustainable development. — KUNA
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin rewards U.S. man with a Russian passport for spying in Ukraine
Moscow — An American who spied on Ukrainian troops to help Moscow's military offensive in the country has been granted Russian citizenship, Moscow-installed authorities said Tuesday. Daniel Martindale spent two years in Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, transmitting coordinates of military facilities to Russia's secret services, according to reports in Russian state media. "By decree of our President Vladimir Putin, a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation was awarded to Daniel Martindale," Denis Pushilin, the head of the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Donetsk region said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that Martindale had "long since proven with his loyalty and actions that he is one of us." "He spent more than two years in the territory under enemy control. And not only did he survive — he helped. He supported our guys, passed on important information to our special services, risked his life," he added. Martindale received his passport from interior ministry officials at a ceremony in Moscow, according to state media and a video published by Pushilin. Martindale thanked Russia for "accepting me," and said becoming a Russian citizen was a "dream." "Russia is not only my home, but my family," he said in Russian on the video. After two years spying on Ukraine, he was extracted in "a complex evacuation operation" after Moscow started to fear his life was in danger if he stayed any longer, Pushilin said. In November 2024, state media reported Russian security forces had taken him to Russia and Martindale lodged his application for Russian citizenship. A Telegram account purporting to be his posted that same month: "Hello, I'm Daniel Martindale, the guy that Russian soldiers risked their lives to evacuate from the village where I had lived for two years." Around that same time, Martindale told pro-Russian bloggers that he had arrived in Ukraine shortly before Russia launched its invasion, hoping to reach the Ukrainian border region of Donetsk. Martindale told the bloggers he had contacted Russian intelligence services on his own initiative and was told to go to the city of Vuhledar and wait for Russian forces to arrive. He said he remained in the city, pretending to be a missionary, until the fall of 2024, when Russian troops seized the city after a protracted battle. Ukrainian journalists have found some evidence to suggest that Martindale may have been recruited by Russian agencies years earlier, as he visited Russia between 2016 and 2019, taking university courses. According to some reports, he was deported from Russia in 2019 for violating labor laws. Sen. Lindsey Graham says "a turning point regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine is coming" Trump pushes senators to make $9.4 trillion in spending cuts Student's unique talent that's for the birds
MTV Lebanon
13 hours ago
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
US citizen who spied on Ukraine gets Russian passport
An American who spied on Ukrainian troops to help Moscow's military offensive in the country has been granted Russian citizenship, Moscow-installed authorities said Tuesday. Daniel Martindale spent two years in Ukraine after Russia launched its offensive, transmitting coordinates of military facilities to Russia's secret services, according to reports in Russian state media. 'By decree of our President Vladimir Putin, a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation was awarded to Daniel Martindale,' Denis Pushilin, the head of the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Donetsk region said on Telegram. Pushilin said that Martindale had 'long since proven with his loyalty and actions that he is one of us.' 'He spent more than two years in the territory under enemy control. And not only did he survive -- he helped. He supported our guys, passed on important information to our special services, risked his life,' he added. Martindale received his passport from interior ministry officials at a ceremony in Moscow, according to state media and a video published by Pushilin. Martindale thanked Russia for 'accepting me,' and said becoming a Russian citizen was a 'dream.' 'Russia is not only my home, but my family,' he said in Russian on the video. After two years spying on Ukraine, he was extracted in 'a complex evacuation operation' after Moscow started to fear his life was in danger if he stayed any longer, Pushilin said. In November 2024, state media reported Russian security forces had taken him to Russia and Martindale lodged his application for Russian citizenship. A Telegram account purporting to be his posted that same month: 'Hello, I'm Daniel Martindale, the guy that Russian soldiers risked their lives to evacuate from the village where I had lived for two years.'
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
US Citizen Who Spied On Ukrainian Troops "Awarded" Russian Passport By Putin
Russia: An American who spied on Ukrainian troops to help Moscow's military offensive in the country has been granted Russian citizenship, Moscow-installed authorities said Tuesday. Daniel Martindale spent two years in Ukraine after Russia launched its offensive, transmitting coordinates of military facilities to Russia's secret services, according to reports in Russian state media. "By decree of our President Vladimir Putin, a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation was awarded to Daniel Martindale," Denis Pushilin, the head of the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Donetsk region said on Telegram. Pushilin said that Martindale had "long since proven with his loyalty and actions that he is one of us." "He spent more than two years in the territory under enemy control. And not only did he survive -- he helped. He supported our guys, passed on important information to our special services, risked his life," he added. Martindale received his passport from interior ministry officials at a ceremony in Moscow, according to state media and a video published by Pushilin. Martindale thanked Russia for "accepting me", and said becoming a Russian citizen was a "dream". "Russia is not only my home, but my family," he said in Russian on the video. After two years spying on Ukraine, he was extracted in "a complex evacuation operation" after Moscow started to fear his life was in danger if he stayed any longer, Pushilin said. In November 2024, state media reported Russian security forces had taken him to Russia and Martindale lodged his application for Russian citizenship. A Telegram account purporting to be his posted that same month: "Hello, I'm Daniel Martindale, the guy that Russian soldiers risked their lives to evacuate from the village where I had lived for two years." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
