
A Dallas man, a 56-year-old U.S. Army veteran, was sentenced to six months in prison for violating the terms of his probation after attempting to join the Russian military to fight against Ukraine. The man, identified as Loftus, was stopped from boarding a flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, via Istanbul, Turkey, when Turkish Airlines flagged him as a security risk.
Loftus had not obtained court permission to travel internationally or to drive from Texas to Iowa, where he was arrested by the FBI. He admitted to planning to secure a visa to Russia and join the Russian Territorial Defense Unit, sending money for equipment for Russian soldiers.