Two British fighters captured in Ukraine by Russian forces appeared on Russian state TV today and asked to be exchanged for an ally of Vladimir Putin known as the “prince of darkness”.
Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin both spoke seperately after being prompted by an unidentified man in footage broadcast on the Rossiya 24 state TV channel. It was unclear how freely the two men were able to talk.
Mr Pinner, 48, a former Royal Anglian soldier, was captured in Mariupol while fighting with the Ukrainian marines, and Mr Aslin, 28, originally from Nottinghamshire, had been defending the besieged city before having to surrender after running out of food and ammunition.
The two men asked British prime minister Boris Johnson to help bring them home in exchange for Ukraine releasing pro-Russian politician and oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, who is a close friend of Mr Putin and the godfather to his youngest daughter Daryna.
Mr Medvedchuk was shown in a video released around the same time on Monday by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service asking to be swapped too.
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In his appeal to Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky, he asked to be exchanged for the defenders of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and any civilians allowed to leave.
Both Mr Pinner and Mr Aslin fought on the Ukrainian side in Mariupol, which is now almost entirely under Russian control.
The unidentified man shown on Russian state TV was seen showing the two Britons a video on his mobile phone of Mr Medvedchuk’s wife, Oksana, making an appeal over the weekend for her husband to be swapped for the two British nationals.
Viktor Medvedchuk is a key ally of Vladimir Putin and has been captured by Ukrainian forces
(VIA REUTERS)
Three days after Russia moved its forces into Ukraine on February 24, Ukraine said Mr Medvedchuk had escaped from house arrest.
He had been placed under house arrest in May 2021 and charged with high treason and later with aiding terrorism.
The pro-Russian figure, who says Putin is godfather to his daughter, has denied wrongdoing. “I understand the situation,”
Mr Pinner, who looked tired and nervous, said after being shown the video. “I’d like to appeal to the government to send me back home, I’d like to see my wife again,” he said.
Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin (pictured) have both been captured by Russian forces
(cossackgundi)
This map shows the extent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
(Press Association Images)
Mr Pinner made a direct appeal to Mr Johnson on his own behalf and on Mr Aslin’s behalf. “We look to exchange myself and Aiden Aslin for Mr Medvedchuk. Obviously I would really appreciate your help in this matter,” he said, saying he spoke a little Russian and had been treated well.
The unidentified man was then shown speaking to Mr Aslin, who was sat on a chair wearing a T-shirt bearing the emblem of Ukraine’s far-right Azov battalion.
“I think that Boris needs to listen to what Oksana (Medvedchuk’s wife) has said,” said Mr Aslin.
“If Boris Johnson really does care about British citizens like he says he does then he will help.”
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Additonal reporting by Reuters