A British father who reportedly joined the Russian military after being threatened with deportation has disappeared while fighting against Ukraine. His family says he signed a military contract to avoid being separated from his wife and newborn son in Russia.
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According to the BBC on October 20, 30-year-old Nathan Stobbart moved from Newcastle to Russia in December 2024 to live with his Russian partner, Ksenia, whom he had met online. The couple married and had a child together.
However, Stobbart reportedly faced an ultimatum from Russian authorities: sign a one-year military contract or risk losing his right to remain in the country.
His mother, Valerie Stobbart, said her daughter-in-law told her that Russian officials had threatened to deny him permission to stay and deport him unless he joined the army. “He was so desperate to stay with his family he would do anything,” Valerie told the BBC.
British national Nathan Stobbart with his Russian wife, Ksenia, whom he moved to Russia to marry. (Source: BBC)
Stobbart joined Russian forces in April 2025 without informing his family in Britain. He had previously told his mother that he was working as an electrical contractor. In December, his wife contacted Valerie to report that he had disappeared during military operations against Ukraine.
A Russian military document reviewed by the BBC confirmed that Stobbart was officially declared missing in action on December 12, 2025. His body has not been recovered, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
“He never wanted to join the army,” his mother said. “He was there to live with his family.” The BBC reported that Stobbart had recorded a farewell video for his mother before his deployment, intended to be delivered if he was killed.
The British Foreign Office confirmed it was aware of the case and remained in contact with his family, but warned that its ability to provide consular assistance in Russia was severely limited.
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Stobbart is not the first British national to fight for Moscow. According to the BBC, Ben Stimson and Aiden Minnis previously received Russian citizenship after fighting in the temporary occupied Donbas region, while another British citizen, Bradley Townsend, was killed fighting for Russia in June 2026.
His mother, who condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, continues searching for information about her son and believes he may still be alive in Ukrainian captivity. No evidence confirming his capture or death has emerged.
Stobbart’s case follows other reports of Russia using deportation threats to recruit foreign nationals. In August, Ukrainian military intelligence reported that a Moldovan citizen had been pressured into signing a Russian military contract under threat of deportation and was killed in Ukraine less than two months later.
