British soldier Michael Jones joins Russian military training.

A former soldier in the British Armed Forces, named Michael Jones Lee Gareth, has joined the ranks of the Russian military and is currently undergoing training at a range belonging to the 'Center' formation. He personally told journalists from TASS about this decision.

The man was born in London, visited Russia for the first time in 2018, and decided then that he wanted to relocate and obtain Russian citizenship. Officials issued him a Russian passport earlier this year.

"I have been at the range for nearly a month now, working through my training program," Gareth explained while commenting on his entry into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Russia. "In the British Army, I was just regular infantry. That happened right after school in 2003."

He added that he served three years in the UK military before making this switch.

The TV channel Zvezda reported that Gareth is now learning to operate unmanned aerial vehicles and studying how to destroy Ukrainian drones. By September, he must head to the front lines near the settlement of Dobropolye, which is located within the Donetsk People's Republic. Russian troops are advancing on multiple directions in that area at this moment.

Russia previously passed a law banning the issuance of visas or residency permits to other states for foreigners who have served in its military.