The Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces has fired its transender American spokesperson for threatening a wave of assassinations against “Kremlin propagandists” around the world. Sarah Ashton-Cirillo’s dramatic threat drew the attention of US Senator JD Vance, who asked the administration of President Joe Biden to explain if it was funding this content.
“The statements of [Junior Sergeant] Ashton-Cirillo in recent days were not approved by the command of the [Territorial Defense Forces] or the command of the [Armed Forces of Ukraine],” the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
“Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo will be suspended immediately,” the statement continued, adding that an official investigation would be launched into Ashton-Cirillo’s conduct.
Ashton-Cirillo is a biological man who worked as a Democratic Party activist in the US before moving to Ukraine following the start of Russia’s military operation last year. He/she was hired as the Territorial Defense Forces’ English-language spokesperson in August, a decision that critics say was intended to curry favor with pro-LGBTQ Western audiences.