English traitor fighting for Russia against Ukraine says he is 'prepared to ... trends now

The English traitor fighting as a mercenary for Russia is 'willing to die' for Putin's forces and believes he is 'doing the Lord's work' by fighting the illegal war in Ukraine, it has emerged.

Aiden Minnis, 37, joined the Russian army in January and, despite being disowned by his family and friends in the UK, continues to brag about his life on the frontline, which allegedly involves 'laying landmines and explosives' that kill Ukrainian soldiers.

The Wiltshire native has now claimed that his proudest moment since enlisting was 'swearing an oath to Russia and standing with my unit as the national anthem played', The Mirror reported.

Minnis, a former member of the far-right National Front with a conviction for a racist attack, said he plans to live but is 'prepared to die for the cause if necessary'.

He also has no plans to return to Britain after he completing his service in Putin's army, noting he 'would be arrested on return'. He says he is currently in the process of obtaining Russian citizenship.

Minnis and his fellow mercenary Ben Stimson, 48, have been branded traitors by a former British Army commander for fighting alongside Putin's regular troops.

Minnis, in a social media post, described himself as a 'sapper' - or combat engineer - in the Russian army and praised Putin. He also self-identified as a 'Z Patriot' and shared photos in which he is dressed in army fatigues.

The mercenary said his role in the army involves 'anything from technical work, to laying mines and explosives'.

He thinks Putin is the 'greatest politician on earth and of the past century', he has claimed, and believes by fighting in his army that he is 'securing victory for Russia and by default the citizens of the rest of the world'.

He also claimed that Ukraine is 'mass murdering' its own citizens and slammed the West for 'arming and funding the mass murder of ethnic Russians'.

Although he doesn't speak any Russian, Minnis said his fellow soldiers are 'my brothers' and that 'I get on really well with them'.

'I trust them and I will die for them. They have proven themselves and helped me a lot,' he said, adding that despite the language barrier, 'we understand each other. A bit of pidgin English and pidginRussian and sign language. It gets done.'

It comes as the 37-year-old has been disowned by his Wiltshire-based family. 

A family friend said his mother Tina, from Chippenham, was not even aware that Minnis was fighting on the front line.

'She has nothing to do with him, she has disowned him and they do not speak,' the friend told MailOnline yesterday.

'I don't think she will ever want to talk about him. She wants nothing to do with him and they have not spoken or had contact for years.'

The friend added: 'I don't believe she was even aware he was away fighting. This is all news to her.'