An American soldier who fled the U.S. while facing serious charges has now shown up in a Russian military video, surprising many with his new role. Wilmer Puello-Mota, a 27-year-old former Air Force member, was supposed to be in court in Rhode Island in early January to face charges including possession of child pornography and forgery. Instead, he boarded a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, on January 7, and disappeared from the U.S. radar.

A recent video released by the Russian Defense Ministry features a man named Will who claims to have traveled from the United States to Moscow and then to Donetsk, Ukraine. In the video, he talks about how he served in Donetsk for three months and how his American military training is now being used to help the Russian military.

In a video distributed from the Russian Defence Ministry, a man by the name of Will recalls traveling from the United States to Moscow in January, then onto Donetsk where he 'served for three months'

Puello-Mota des...