Ross McElvenny, from Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire, told how he is confident Vladimir Putin will grant him citizenship as he recovers in hospital from serious injuries
A Brit who reportedly lost an eye fighting for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine has broken his silence to claim: “Russia has been very kind to me.”
Ross McElvenny, 25, has been praised for his bravery in the war and claimed he is seeking to permanently defect to Russia. The young man, from Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire, also said he is confident Putin, 72, will grant him citizenship as he recovers in hospital from serious injuries.
Mr McElvenny, who uses the online call sign Whisky, has now released a series of statements claiming he never wanted the limelight. He hit back at claims he is paid a measly £150 a month, insisting “money is not my motivation for being here”.
And the fighter told The Sun his “citizenship application has been submitted”. Posting on the Telegram app on November 4, Mr McElvenny wrote: “I am not being deported. Whoever is spreading that information is spreading fake news. People are helping me with the necessary documentation. My documents were leaked in the first place, and I never wanted publicity.”
On November 5, Mr McElvenny said his “citizenship application has been submitted”. He added: “Everything is fine. The Russian authorities have been very kind to me. But it is still a pity that this whole situation has become public.”
An update three days ago read: “My situation has unfortunately been picked up in the Western media. While money is not my motivation for being here, it is considerably more generous than £150 a month.”
In another post on Monday, he said he had “little to no contact with” with his family back in Scotland. He told a follower: “You should visit Scotland if you haven’t already. That’s where I’m originally from though obviously I live in Russia now. Beautiful landscape back home but politically a mess. Decline.”
It’s understood McElvenny was recruited in August and joined the Russian 1,099th Motorised Rifle Regiment. He sustained serious injuries reportedly during fighting near Donetsk.
