Fugitive American Insists He’s Not a Traitor in New Kremlin Propaganda Video
A former Massachusetts city councilor who fled the U.S. before his trial on child abuse material charges insists he’s not a traitor for joining the Russian military.
Wilmer Puello-Mota, who allegedly fled the country in January two days before his trial was set to begin, appeared in a video Monday released by the Russian Defense Ministry that described him as one of their reconnaissance drone operators. The disgraced former member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard previously appeared in Russian media reports in April as he signed paperwork at a military registration office in Khanty-Mansiysk.
“I’m Will, I’m from Massachusetts, Boston,” Puello-Mota says in the Defense Ministry video released on Telegram. The ministry says he’s part of a motorized rifle unit in Moscow’s Center group of forces and goes by the callsign “Boston.”