Fears are mounting for the safety of a captured British soldier fighting as part of the Ukrainian military after Russian state-backed media said he was a spy.
28-year-old Aiden Aslin was captured in Mariupol recently after his unit of the Ukrainian Marines ran out of ammunition and food and was forced to surrender to the invading Russian army.
Pictures have since emerged showing Aslin in captivity with bruises and cuts that seem consistent with having been beaten.
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Aslin has been fighting as part of the Ukrainian army since way before this conflict started in February, joining up and passing training in 2018.
However, Russia has moved to paint him as a mercenary and spy rather than a legitimate combatant.
That could be significant because whilst prisoners of war are generally released at the end of a conflict, spies are often kept behind bars until later, perhaps when an exchange can be made.
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A reporter for a Kremlin-backed TV channel claimed that Mr Aslin was a spy in a recent broadcast.
Andrey Rudenko said Aslin is a mercenary that has been ‘used [by the West] to perform various delicate tasks’.
He added: “I am sure he will be able to shed light on the actions of Western intelligence agencies in Ukraine.”
It is thought that Aslin is being held in a military detention centre, and videos have emerged that could well have been doctored and appear to show Aslin agreeing with a statement that Ukrainian fighters are ‘killers’.
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Aslin’s brother Nathan Wood said: “People should not believe anything the Russians say or are making my brother say.
“He is being held against his will and forced to say whatever they tell him to.
“Anything that comes out of my brother’s mouth now, and the mouths of his Russian captors, are lies.”
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Politicians in the UK are making efforts to get Aslin released, with his local MP in the Nottingham area Robert Jenrick tweeting: "I am working with the foreign office to track the whereabouts and secure the release of my constituent.
"Aiden chose to risk his life because he believes passionately in the Ukrainian people’s right to live in freedom and democracy."
Aslin previously served with the YPG in Syria fighting against ISIS before joining up with the Ukrainian army before the war began.
Speaking at the time of his capture, Aslin’s mother Ang told the Newark Advertiser: "He was OK and had made contact with his fiancee.
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"Of course I'm worried about him and his unit going into Russian hands, but they are the most bravest and courageous men right now.
“They fought until they couldn't fight any more. They had no food, no ammunition, only water."
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“He said that last night Russians dropped a chemical bomb via a drone over civilians and soldiers.
"A despicable act and another war crime Putin needs to be accountable for his actions
"Everyone who knows Aiden knows he's a good man. A son, a grandson, uncle and cousin and brother."
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: UK News, Russia, Ukraine, World News
Tom Wood