Russian State TV Broadcasts Prisoner Plea From ‘Captured’ Britons

Two guys recognized as captured British soldiers preventing for the Ukrainian army made a plea for a prisoner exchange in a video aired by Russian point out tv on Monday.

In the interviews broadcast on ​​state channel Rossia 24, the males can be observed interesting to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to trade them for captured businessman, politician and Putin ally Viktor Medvedchuk.

Rossia 24 determined the two Britons as Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, but did not specify exactly where they had been remaining held. The outlet also claimed that the pair were between those people who surrendered to Russian forces in the course of combating in the besieged Ukrainian metropolis of Mariupol.  

“A lot has long gone on about the previous 5-six months that I’m not completely mindful of,” the male recognized as Pinner states on camera. “Obviously, I have an understanding of that Mr. Medvedchuk has been detained and we glance for exchanging myself and Aiden Aislin for Mr. Medvedchuk.”

Considering the fact that the start out of the war on Feb. 24, as lots of as 20,000 foreign volunteers have reportedly traveled to Ukraine to fight in the country’s so-identified as “international legion” against Russian forces. 

Aslin’s mother has earlier spoken in the British push about her son’s navy action in Ukraine and stated that she identified him in videos of prisoners of war. On a site considered to be his Twitter account, Aslin writes that he has been a member of the Ukrainian marines considering the fact that 2018. 

Pinner’s family members also reported in a assertion that the previous British military soldier had joined the Ukrainian marines ahead of the war started, that he had a Ukrainian wife, and that he had considered Ukraine his adopted place for the earlier four years. 

Individually on Monday, Ukraine’s protection services, the SBU, posted yet another simply call for a prisoner swap — by Medvedchuk himself. 

In the video, the captured politician states he would like to be swapped for the “defenders and residents” of Mariupol, who “don’t have an chance to depart the city as a result of a risk-free humanitarian corridor.”

Medvedchuk — who has near ties to Putin and claims the Russian president is his daughter’s godfather — earlier co-established a pro-Russian political celebration which won seats in the Ukrainian parliament. In March 2021, he was charged with providing armed forces insider secrets to Russia and put underneath property arrest. 

He escaped from property confinement shortly following the war commenced but was recaptured by Ukrainian unique forces previous week.