An American man who asserts he has helped Russian soldiers in Ukraine for two years has been awarded a Russian passport, according to reports from state media.

Officials in the Moscow-backed Donetsk region have identified him as Daniel Richard Martindale, stating that he was instrumental in aiding Russian forces during their takeover of the village of Bohoiavlenka, located near the occupied city of Vuhledar, in October 2023.

Martindale participated in a televised ceremony at the Donetsk representative office in Moscow, where he took an oath of citizenship in Russian. Denis Pushilin, the pro-Kremlin head of Donetsk, announced that President Vladimir Putin had approved a decree granting him citizenship.

“I, Daniel Richard Martindale, voluntarily and consciously accept the citizenship of the Russian Federation, and I swear to uphold the constitution,” he declared.

A native of New York, Martindale informed reporters last year that he had done “everything possible to ensure the safety of Russian soldiers” and expressed his desire for Russian citizenship during a press briefing in Moscow.

Pushilin alleged that Martindale had supplied vital intelligence that allowed Russian forces to take the Ukrainian city of Kurakhove in December.

He further stated that Martindale had to be rescued because of threats to his safety. “Once it became evident that Daniel’s continued presence in that area posed a life-threatening risk, our special services executed a highly intricate extraction operation,” he wrote on Telegram.

Martindale expressed his intention to become a farmer in Russian-occupied Ukraine, mentioning that “the local people might have undergone similar experiences to mine.”

“They recognize that the land has truly been freed from criminal control, and all of us are hopeful for a brighter future,” he added.

Russian state media also reported that Martindale’s family is supportive of his choice to stay in the region and intends to visit him.