Two British fighters who were captured in Ukraine have appeared on Russian state television and asked to be exchanged for a detained pro-Kremlin politician.

Shaun Pinner, 48, and Aiden Aslin, 27, were defending the southern city of Mariupol with Ukrainian marines when they were captured. Today they appeared on Russian television and asked Boris Johnson to help bring them home.

They asked to be freed in exchange for Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian opposition figure who has previously been described as President Putin’s right-hand man in Kyiv. It is unclear how freely the two Britons were speaking, having been prompted by an unidentified man.

n a separate video released by the Ukrainians today, Medvedchuk appealed to Putin and President Zelensky to exchange him for Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner by Russian forces. The opposition leader, 67, was captured by the secret services last week after escaping house arrest three days into the invasion. His wife has proposed swapping him for the two Britons.

Pinner, a former British soldier from Watford, said he had been fighting in Mariupol for five or six weeks and was now in the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, a breakaway state. Aslin, a former care worker from Nottinghamshire, was shown handcuffed and bruised in a propaganda clip after his capture last week.

Pinner served in the Royal Anglian Regiment for nine years. His Facebook posts indicate that he was in Bosnia for the UN Protection Force in the 1990s. He joined the struggle against Islamic State with the Kurdish People’s Protection units, known as the YPG, in Syria.

A statement from his family last night said he was “not a volunteer nor a mercenary” and had been serving with the Ukrainian military since 2018, since becoming a marine. They said they were working with the Foreign Office to ensure Russia upholds his rights as a prisoner of war under the Geneva Convention. The Foreign Office has been in contact with the families of the two men to support them.

Earlier in the weekend the state television channel NTV showed a tired looking Shaun Pinner, 48, and said he had been serving in the 36th Marine Brigade “which surrendered several days ago”. Only Pinner’s head and shoulders could be seen in the video. He spoke clearly and without emotion. No injuries were visible.


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/captured-british-fighter-shaun-pinner-paraded-on-russian-tv-bfrlfvv89?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1650284146

We already know that the Ukrainian forces have special secret support by NATO.....Putin knows this too.

A smart statement from the family:


A statement from his family last night said he was “not a volunteer nor a mercenary” and had been serving with the Ukrainian military since 2018, since becoming a marine.

bkool7:
Two British fighters who were captured in Ukraine have appeared on Russian state television and asked to be exchanged for a detained pro-Kremlin politician.

Shaun Pinner, 48, and Aiden Aslin, 27, were defending the southern city of Mariupol with Ukrainian marines when they were captured. Today they appeared on Russian television and asked Boris Johnson to help bring them home.

They asked to be freed in exchange for Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian opposition figure who has previously been described as President Putin’s right-hand man in Kyiv. It is unclear how freely the two Britons were speaking, having been prompted by an unidentified man.

n a separate video released by the Ukrainians today, Medvedchuk appealed to Putin and President Zelensky to exchange him for Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner by Russian forces. The opposition leader, 67, was captured by the secret services last week after escaping house arrest three days into the invasion. His wife has proposed swapping him for the two Britons.

Pinner, a former British soldier from Watford, said he had been fighting in Mariupol for five or six weeks and was now in the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, a breakaway state. Aslin, a former care worker from Nottinghamshire, was shown handcuffed and bruised in a propaganda clip after his capture last week.

Pinner served in the Royal Anglian Regiment for nine years. His Facebook posts indicate that he was in Bosnia for the UN Protection Force in the 1990s. He joined the struggle against Islamic State with the Kurdish People’s Protection units, known as the YPG, in Syria.

A statement from his family last night said he was “not a volunteer nor a mercenary” and had been serving with the Ukrainian military since 2018, since becoming a marine. They said they were working with the Foreign Office to ensure Russia upholds his rights as a prisoner of war under the Geneva Convention. The Foreign Office has been in contact with the families of the two men to support them.

Earlier in the weekend the state television channel NTV showed a tired looking Shaun Pinner, 48, and said he had been serving in the 36th Marine Brigade “which surrendered several days ago”. Only Pinner’s head and shoulders could be seen in the video. He spoke clearly and without emotion. No injuries were visible.


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/captured-british-fighter-shaun-pinner-paraded-on-russian-tv-bfrlfvv89?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1650284146

This is a big achievement for them, it means one British soldier is equal to 10 russian soldiers and one American soldier is equal to 20 Russia soldiers I guess.

God1000:
This is a big achievement for them, it means one British soldier is equal to 10 russian soldiers and one American soldier is equal to 20 Russia soldiers I guess.

you just nailed it

Boris Johnson should not exchange anyone.Viktor must be treated accordingly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQfEkcXq3QY

Captured BRITISH Fighters Appear on Russian State TV

Dem never even kill them? Dirty brits