American Fighting in Ukraine Defects to Russia, Calls Kiev a Nazi Government

In a clip of McIntyre shown by RT, he can be seen saying "God bless Ukraine, God bless America," while holding a patch with a "Z." The symbol is widely associated with Russian forces in Ukraine.

When asked by Gazdiev to explain the videos, McIntyre said the footage was all "part of it," to "maintain my cover."

"If I'm going to be with them, I've got to become them," McIntyre continued, "and doing a Hitler salute, stepping on Russian flags, everything," was part of it.

"When I first came, I kind of expected they wouldn't be that big of a problem," he said. He then claimed: "When I came I was really surprised: everyone had tattoos, and Nazi symbolism."

He called Kyiv a "Nazi government," and said the ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine's leadership "infuriates me."

John McIntyre, who served two years in the U.S. military, joined the ranks of Ukraine's International Legion, fighting with Kyiv's forces before defecting to Moscow in February 2023.

According to McIntyre, he had planned to infiltrate Ukraine's Azov Battalion before leaving the country. The Azov Battalion started life as a far-right militia, and sported neo-Nazi symbolism, including documented instances of nationalist forces doing Nazi salutes.