Graham Phillips (journalist)

Graham William Phillips (born 1979) is a British journalist, self-styled 'indie journo', documentary filmmaker and former YouTuber who has been under UK Government sanctions since July 2022 for "producing and publishing pro-Russian disinformation and propaganda about the Ukraine War". Phillips was the first mono-British citizen to be added to the sanctions list, and remains the only mono-British national to be sanctioned by the UK. In October 2024, Phillips was granted political asylum in Russia. In April 2025, further sanctions were imposed on Phillips by the UK. In June 2025, Phillips was added to a list of 'Kremlin mouthpieces' by the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

In the Donbas War, Phillips initially worked as a stringer for Russian state-owned television networks RT (2013–14) and Zvezda (2014–15), before going on to report for his own YouTube channel, receiving multiple medals for his work including one from Russia's Federal Security Service. Writing on Phillips in 2017, the BBC described him as "often in the midst of tearing bullets and toppling buildings. His daredevil style has drawn the attention of audiences". In the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Phillips has made videos from the occupied territories, openly showing his support for the Russian invasion. Phillips describes himself as an "independent British journalist" and that his work is "supported by crowdfunding from individuals across the world who want to see the truth".

Phillips was accused by at least one UK politician of committing a war crime in Ukraine by breaching the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War in his April 2022 interview with Aiden Aslin, an accusation he denies. In July 2022, the government of the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Phillips, stating that his work "supports and promotes actions and policies which destabilise Ukraine and undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or independence of Ukraine". Phillips' YouTube channel was deleted in July 2023, he moved his content to Rumble, Telegram, and other social media.