Former British soldier James Scott Rhys Anderson has reportedly been captured by Russian troops in Kursk. If confirmed, his seize would signify the primary recognized case of a Western citizen seized on Russian territory.
A former British soldier has reportedly been captured by Russian forces whereas combating alongside Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk area, Russian state media stated on Monday.
The man was recognized as James Scott Rhys Anderson, a former British Army signalman for 4 years earlier than becoming a member of the International Legion of Ukraine as a volunteer fighter.
In a broadly circulated Telegram video purportedly exhibiting Anderson, a person wearing a fight swimsuit shares particulars about himself sitting in a chair along with his arms tied behind his again.
“It was a silly thought,” the person stated of his choice to journey to Ukraine after seeing warfare reviews on tv.
The report, which has not but been independently verified, would mark the primary publicly recognized case of a Western citizen captured on Russian soil whereas combating for Ukraine.
Anderson’s father advised British tabloid The Daily Mail that he was knowledgeable of his son’s seize by his Ukrainian commander.
Scott Anderson stated he tried to persuade his son to not be a part of the Ukrainian military and feared for his security.
“I hope he will likely be used as a bargaining chip, however my son advised me that they torture their prisoners and I’m so afraid that he will likely be tortured,” she stated.
Britain’s Foreign Office stated it supported the household of a British man “following reviews of detention”, though it didn’t explicitly verify Anderson’s arrest.
Foreign volunteers from Ukraine
Thousands of individuals from world wide have traveled to assist Ukraine battle its warfare in opposition to Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Most joined the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, however some overseas volunteers had been additionally deployed in different items of the Ukrainian military.
At the beginning of the warfare, Ukrainian authorities stated greater than 20,000 individuals from 52 nations arrived in Ukraine to assist defend it from Russian aggression. Since then, Ukraine has not launched official knowledge on the variety of overseas fighters.
In 2022, British citizen Shaun Pinner was captured within the besieged metropolis of Mariupol whereas combating alongside Ukrainian troops.
He was sentenced to demise throughout a present trial within the self-proclaimed Kremlin-controlled Donetsk People’s Republic, however was finally freed in a prisoner trade.
