Two British soldiers, allegedly captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine, have appeared on Russian state television pleading for help from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Shaun Pinner, 48, and Aiden Aslin, 28, appeared in two separate videos on Monday, asking to be exchanged for a Putin-allied politician who is being held in Ukraine.
It is not known whether his requests to the prime minister, made through the Rossiya 24 channel, were forced.
The Foreign Ministry in the United Kingdom urged the Kremlin to observe humane treatment of prisoners.
A source from the Foreign Ministry condemned “the exploitation of prisoners of war for political purposes.”
In the two videos, Aslin and Pinner address the prime minister, asking that they be exchanged for politician Victor Medvedchuk, a Kremlin ally. Aslin, in the video of him, speaks while an unidentified man watches over him.
Medvedchuk has also been featured in a video that was released by the Ukrainian intelligence service.
Both British citizens had been living in Ukraine before the invasion and have Ukrainian partners.
Both were serving as marines in the Ukrainian army.
In an earlier video posted on social media, Shaun Pinner – originally from the north London county of Bedfordshire – gives his name and says he was fighting in the besieged port of Mariupol before he was captured.
He reports that he is now in the region of the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine. It is also not known if he was speaking under pressure.
The testimony of relatives
Pinner’s family describes him as a “funny, endearing and well-intentioned” man.
They say they hope the situation will be resolved quickly.
They asked that both he and Aslin be treated according to the Geneva Convention.
The convention stipulates, among other things, that they be treated humanely and prohibits their being subjected to humiliating and degrading situations.
In a statement, Pinner’s family said he had been a “highly esteemed” soldier in the British Army before moving to Ukraine four years ago to put his previous experience and training with the Ukrainian Army to use.
They assured that it is a “proud member of his unit” in the Ukrainian navy.
“Shaun enjoyed the Ukrainian way of life and for the last four years considered Ukraine his adopted country. At that time, he met his Ukrainian wife who is very dedicated to the humanitarian needs of the country”, they added.
Pinner had a three-year contract due to expire at the end of the year and planned to take on a humanitarian role in the country, according to his family.
“Shaun is a funny, endearing and well-meaning husband, son, father and friend to many,” they said.
“We hope there is a speedy resolution that will allow Shaun and Aiden to return safely to their families and we ask for privacy at this difficult time.”
“We feel compassion for everyone involved in this horrific conflict.”
A Foreign Ministry source said that they were aware of the arrest of two British citizens and that they had contacted their families to offer them support, while advising them not to travel to Ukraine.
On the other hand, it is believed that Aiden Aslin, a former social worker who has a Ukrainian fiancée and dual citizenshipwas also captured in Mariupol.
Fighting continues in that city despite an ultimatum issued by Moscow demanding the surrender of the remaining fighters.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal declared that the city’s defenders would face Russian forces to the last.
Mariupol is considered an important strategic piece by Russia since it would allow it to establish control of a wide strip of territory in the south and east of Ukraine.
The situation for civilians in the city is desperate, with houses destroyed and water scarce.
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Source: Eluniverso
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