U.S. national tortured to death in Ukraine by Russian soldiers, Moscow says

A general view shows the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine, January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russell Bentley, a U.S. national who went missing in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine early this year, is believed to have been tortured to death by Russian soldiers who are now set to go on trial, Russia's top investigative body said on Friday.

Bentley died in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in April, Margarita Simonyan, head of Russia's state media outlet RT, wrote at the time, saying he had been "fighting there for our guys" and working with Russia's Sputnik news service.