The russian Ministry of Defense released a video in which an American soldier talks about his service in the U.S. Air Force and his conscious decision to move to russia and volunteer for the "special military operation".
In reality, U.S. citizen Wilmer Puello-Mota, who is fighting as part of the russian "Center" military group, did not come to russia of his own free will. He is wanted in the U.S. on charges of possessing child pornography – explicit photos of a minor were found on his phone.
He disappeared on January 7, 2024, two days before his court trial. In April, he resurfaced in russia, where kremlin propagandists portrayed him as the epitome of a "smart American" who became disillusioned with the U.S. and joined the war against Ukraine.