MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. Daniel Martindale, a US citizen who supported the Russian military from the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) for two years, thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the opportunity to obtain Russian citizenship.
"My path toward becoming a Russian citizen was not easy. I’d like to thank the Russian president for this tremendous honor," Martindale said in a ceremony at the DPR’s mission in Moscow.
He thanked Russian special services, too, for trusting him and the opportunity to help as he also praised the courage of Russian soldiers. "We should thank all servicemen who are sacrificing their lives to liberate Donbass. I say a thank you to special services who stood by me when I was in a Kiev-controlled area. I will never forget their dedication and courage. I am eternally indebted to them," the American said.
A New Yorker, Martindale stayed in a Ukrainian-controlled area from February 11, 2022. After he volunteered to establish contact with Russian forces, he supplied information about the location of Ukrainian military facilities for two years. The intelligence collected from him was repeatedly used to strike Ukrainian infrastructure and troops. On October 27, 2024, the Russian servicemen on a combat mission near the village of Bogoyavlenka in the DPR evacuated him and brought him to Donetsk. The American later shared plans to stay in Russia and obtain Russian citizenship.