On September 26, 2025, the British political landscape was rocked by the guilty plea of Nathan Gill, a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales, who admitted to eight counts of bribery in connection with a covert pro-Russian influence operation. The 52-year-old, hailing from Anglesey, North Wales, confessed to accepting payments from Oleg Voloshyn, a Ukrainian politician with established links to the Kremlin, in exchange for promoting Russian interests in European political forums and media outlets.
Gill’s political journey has been anything but uneventful. Initially elected as an MEP for Wales in 2014 under the banner of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), he later joined the Brexit Party, which eventually rebranded as Reform UK. He even led Reform UK’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign before stepping down from the party. However, it was his actions between December 2018 and July 2019 that would ultimately bring his career to a dramatic and ignominious halt.
According to BBC and corroborated by ITV Cymru Wales and The New York Times, Gill admitted to accepting bribes from Voloshyn, who at the time was a member of Ukraine’s pro-Russian Opposition Platform for Life party and previously served as an official in the Kremlin-backed Yanukovych administration. Voloshyn was later sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom in 2022 for “spreading disinformation and pro-Russian narratives which support Russia’s actions in Ukraine.”
In court, prosecutors laid out a detailed account of Gill’s activities. WhatsApp messages uncovered on Gill’s phone revealed that Voloshyn had issued specific instructions, often providing scripts for speeches and media appearances. Gill’s tasks included defending Russian-linked Ukrainian TV channels such as 112 Ukraine and NewsOne—both associated with Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian politician and close confidant of Vladimir Putin. Medvedchuk, whose ties to the Russian president are so close that Putin is the godfather of his daughter, was facing criminal charges in Ukraine at the time for high treason. Gill’s defense of these channels and his support for Medvedchuk’s political initiatives were central to the bribery scheme.
One notable episode occurred in February 2019, when Gill appeared on 112 Ukraine to echo Voloshyn’s narrative, claiming that Medvedchuk was being “persecuted” for his “political convictions.” Prosecutors noted that Gill “closely followed the line given to him,” even arranging for other MEPs to make supportive statements on the same channel. In March 2019, Gill was again instructed to recruit more politicians to back negotiations between Medvedchuk and then-Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, a move that aligned with Moscow’s interests in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
The bribery went beyond mere statements. In July 2019, Gill was paid to arrange and host a presentation by Medvedchuk inside the European Parliament, where the Ukrainian politician unveiled his so-called “Peace Plan for Donbass.” The following day, Medvedchuk met with Putin in Russia, with both men publicly praising the European Parliament event. Kremlin transcripts quoted Medvedchuk as saying the reaction of British politicians “inspired” him, while Putin called the meeting “very positive.”
Gill’s speeches in the European Parliament also reflected this orchestrated support. In December 2018, he delivered a speech criticizing the Ukrainian government for “repressing” pro-Russian news outlets. “I have every sympathy with Ukraine when it comes to Crimea, when it comes to Russian aggression and interference,” Gill stated in Parliament, but he added pointedly, “It is wrong to fight repression with repression,” urging the Ukrainian government to allow TV stations “to broadcast whether you like the message or not.” A similar message was delivered in March 2019, following scripts provided by Voloshyn, according to court documents cited by The New York Times.
The bribery scheme unraveled in September 2021, when Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport under the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. During this encounter, law enforcement officers discovered WhatsApp exchanges between Gill and Voloshyn, which laid bare the extent of the operation. According to prosecutors, Gill answered “no comment” to all police questions but ultimately pleaded guilty to the eight bribery charges. He denied a broader conspiracy charge that allegedly covered a period from January 2018 to February 2020.
During the court hearing at the Old Bailey, Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “This is a serious matter. Nathan Gill has admitted having asked questions, made statements and carried out other activities in or connected with the European Parliament in support of pro-Russian parties in the Ukraine conflict.” Prosecutor Mark Heywood KC described the guilty pleas as “satisfactory,” noting they “reflected the criminal activities.” Defense barrister Peter Wright KC acknowledged that Gill faced a substantial prison sentence but requested bail for the married father-of-five ahead of the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for November 21, 2025.
Gill’s rapid political ascent and subsequent fall from grace have drawn attention to the broader issue of foreign influence and espionage in British and European politics. As The New York Times highlighted, Gill’s case is just the latest in a series of criminal investigations involving pro-Russian influence operations in the UK, including sabotage and targeted attacks against Ukrainian interests and critics of the Russian government.
The revelations have also cast a shadow over the parties Gill once represented. While Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, leads some British opinion polls, the party has yet to respond publicly to the scandal. Gill’s earlier roles as leader of UKIP Wales and his brief tenure as head of Reform UK Wales in 2021 have further fueled debate about the vulnerability of populist political movements to foreign manipulation.
As the UK and its European neighbors grapple with ongoing Russian attempts to undermine democratic institutions, the Gill affair serves as a cautionary tale. The case underscores the persistent threat posed by state-backed disinformation campaigns and the ease with which even elected officials can be drawn into webs of influence and corruption—sometimes for little more than a series of WhatsApp messages and cash payments.
With sentencing set for November, all eyes will be on the Old Bailey as Nathan Gill faces the consequences of his actions—a stark reminder of the high stakes and hidden dangers in the world of modern political influence.
