New Russian propaganda clip appears to feature U.S. city councilor who reportedly joined Russian army after fleeing child pornography charges

Multiple Russian pro-war Telegram channels have shared a video in the last day that features a “former American soldier named Wil” talking about his experience joining the Russian military and fighting in the battle for Avdiivka.

According to journalists from the independent outlet Agentstvo, the man in the video is Wilmer Puello-Mota, a 27-year-old former city councilor from Holyoke, Massachusetts, who was charged in 2020 with possession of child pornography as well as obstruction, forgery, and counterfeiting. Puello-Mota’s trial was set to begin in January 2024. A Rhode Island court reportedly issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to show up for a hearing.

The video circulating on Telegram indicates that Puello-Mota signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry at a selection point in Khanty-Mansiysk in Western Siberia. Pro-Kremlin “war correspondent” Yuri Kotenok, who first shared the clip, reported that Puello-Mota was given an initial one-time payout of 745,000 rubles ($8,060) and receives an additional 150,000 rubles ($1,621) for every two months of service. “‘Wil’ served in the U.S. armed forces, unaware of what was really happening in Ukraine, and several months ago he came to the special military operation as a volunteer,” Kotenok wrote.