MYSTERIOUS

British YouTube Star Detained in Kazakhstan by Russian Authorities

Benjamin Rich operates the channel Bald and Bankrupt, a travelogue with over 3.5 million subscribers.

Russian authorities announced Saturday that a British YouTube star has been arrested at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Reuters reports. Benjamin Rich, who operates the channel Bald and Bankrupt, a travelogue with over 3.5 million subscribers, is known for traveling to remote and often precarious destinations. Authorities say Rich and fellow traveler Alina Tseliup were detained and under investigation for “illegal activities,” though they gave no further details. The launch pad where the pair were detained is rented by Russia, with special permissions required from the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, for visitors. British authorities have yet to comment on the situation. Rich’s last video was posted April 24 from Syria; before that, he chronicled leaving Kyiv on Feb. 28 aboard a civilian train.