On September 20, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced that Russell Bentley, an American pro-Kremlin fighter who participated in Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2014 and was killed under previously unclear circumstances, was tortured to death by Russian soldiers.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes, has identified the suspects as Russian Armed Forces servicemen Vitaly Vansyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin, and Andrei Iordanov.
I asked a few weeks ago what happened to Russell Bentley. Looks like we have confirmation that the rumours are unfortunately true, and the alleged perpetrators are hopefully going to be charged with torture and murder.
It is alleged that three Russian servicemen Vitaly Vansyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsov and Andrey Iordanov, a tank crew from Moscow’s 5th Zakharchenko Brigade violently kidnapped Bentley, took him to an unidentified location where they interrogated and tortured him which, in the words of the committees indictment involved “actions that clearly went beyond their authority and which through negligence resulted in the death of the victim.” Kyiv post
TASS.RU link (in Russian): https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/21912695
That's tragic, why would Russian soldiers target him? He was on their side, wasn't he?
I don't know if trials in Russia are public, but I'm sure it will all come out during the trial, at this point we can only guess.
My guess is money extortion scheme gone wrong.