Russell Bentley, a Texas man who as the “Donbas Cowboy” gained notoriety for joining Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, was tortured before being killed, and his alleged abductors tried to cover the death by blowing up a car containing his body, Russian authorities said. In a statement released September 20, the Investigative Committee said four men had been charged in connection with Bentley’s death in April. Bentley, 64, was a fixture in the low-level Russian incursion in Ukraine dating back to 2014. Calling himself the “Donbas Cowboy,” Bentley, 64, became a popular figure on Russian propaganda networks for his criticism of the U.S. government, and he later gained Russian citizenship.
Four Russian Soldiers Charged With Involvement In American's Death
U.S. citizen Russell Bentley was allegedly killed by Russian soldiers in April.