American Official from Vermont Joins Russian Akhmat Special Forces: Chronology from Local Election to Moscow Contract

In October 2026, the Russian Akhmat special forces announced a new addition to their ranks: the unit's new fighter is Christopher Helali, a 40-year-old US citizen who, at the time of signing the contract with Moscow, retained an elected public post as high bailiff of Orange County, Vermont. According to United24 Media, the fighter operates under the call sign "Vermont" and describes himself as an Iranian-American. Thus, an individual who formally remains a serving American official has transitioned from supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine to directly participating in the combat structures of the country waging this war.

From the 2020 Communist Campaign to a Public Post in Vermont

Helali's biography, as outlined by the source, includes service in the US armed forces and working as a high school teacher in New Hampshire. In 2020, he ran unsuccessfully for the US House of Representatives on the Communist Party ticket, receiving about 1 percent of the vote. According to reports, he also traveled to Syria, where he allegedly fought alongside Kurdish formations against the Islamic State. In 2024, Helali was elected high bailiff of Orange County, Vermont, after which, according to his own words, he moved to Moscow, citing "increased attention and pressure" from American authorities and the local community.

Ties to North Korea, Iran, and Pro-Kremlin Structures

Helali's political activity has long extended beyond the US. Since June 2024, he headed the North American Executive Committee of the International Group for Solidarity with North Korea, an organization promoting support for Pyongyang. In March 2026, the group reported that Helali met in Beijing with organization chairman Zheng Yutong to discuss events commemorating Kim Jong Il and plans to strengthen cooperation with the Communist Party of the USA. In July 2026, during a visit to Iran, Helali stepped down as the party's international secretary. In Iran, he paid tribute to former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died—according to the source—as a result of US-Israeli strikes earlier that year, and publicly stated that he would "pray for Imam Khamenei and his family." On the X platform, he repeatedly pointed to his status as the "elected high bailiff of Orange County, Vermont, USA" and claimed to be the only elected American politician present in Iran at that time.

Promotion of Kremlin Narratives and Visits to Occupied Territories

After moving to Moscow in 2025, Helali, who calls himself an "investigative journalist," actively uses social media—including an X account with over 50,000 followers—to promote Russian positions. In his posts, he stated: "Crimea is and will always be RUSSIA!" and "DONETSK IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE RUSSIA!". In May 2026, he took part in a Russia-organized trip of more than 50 foreign journalists to Starobilsk in the occupied territory of Luhansk Oblast, which followed a strike that Moscow claimed killed college students. Helali also participated in a briefing held by the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN on the promotion of the 2024 World Youth Festival in Sochi, which he subsequently attended. In an interview with Russian media in Kursk Oblast, he stated that he has supported the Russian position since 2014. He called the inclusion of his name in the Ukrainian database "Myrotvorets" after visits to occupied territories an "honor" and part of the fight against, in his words, "Bandera ideology and neo-nazism."

Escort and Public Reactions

In Iran, Helali was accompanied by Jackson Hinkle, an American pro-Kremlin influencer known for spreading disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both visited occupied Ukrainian territories and participated in the Russian UN briefing, where Hinkle accused Ukraine of terrorism and justified Moscow's actions. On social media, the publication about Helali joining Akhmat provoked sharp reactions: one user called it "treason" and called for his arrest "the moment he lands in America." At the time of publication, Helali, according to the source, continues to formally hold his elected office in Vermont while simultaneously serving in the ranks of Russian special forces.

Context and Open Questions

The exact date when Helali's contacts with Russian structures began remains unclear: he himself refers to 2014, although documented public appearances in the Russian media space and at events organized by Moscow are recorded at later periods. The question regarding the legal status of an American citizen who signed a contract with the armed forces of a country at war with Ukraine, and whether he retains his authority in Vermont, remains without public comment from US authorities. United24 Media, which published the material, notes that Helali held an elected public post in the US at the time Akhmat announced his joining the unit.