A British soldier fighting in Ukraine has been captured by Putin’s troops and forced into giving an interview on Russian state TV.
28-year-old Aiden Aslin is a British national who moved to Ukraine after falling in love with a Ukrainian woman back in 2018. He later also joined the nation’s armed forces.
When the war broke out in Ukraine following Putin’s invasion, Aslin picked up arms and joined the fight against the invaders.
After more than one month of fighting, however, Aslin and his team in Mariupol were forced to surrender to the Russians after running out of ammunition.
Following his capture, the British national was accused of fighting alongside Nazis and forced to undergo an interview for Russian state TV. His captors have since also shared photos of the beaten soldier in handcuffs.
“It’s Aiden I can’t deny it. It’s him,” the soldier’s heartbroken mom said as she asked for help in freeing her son.
“They are his tattoos. There is a faint hope it is a doctored image but I can’t see it. I now hold Vladimir Putin to the terms of the Geneva Convention.
“Aiden is a serving member of the Ukrainian armed forces and as such is a prisoner of war and must be treated with humanity. It already looks like he has been beaten up. It is time now for the British Government to get involved. and help secure Aiden’s release because he is still a British citizen.”
She added: “Possibly there is hope for a prisoner swap arranged by the Ukrainians. I’m in bits. My son will be scared just as we are.”
Speaking out and calling on the government to take action was also Aiden’s brother, 25-year-old Nathan Wood, who told MailOnline he believes Aslin is being held at a marine base in Crimea.
“It is so shocking for our family to see Aiden in that state. What have the Russians done to him? He looks awful, absolutely exhausted. His face is drained of color,” Wood said.
“How has he got such a big red mark on his forehead? That looks like he’s been hit with a rifle butt. But however horrible it is to see him in such a state, it does show that he is still alive and that is giving us as a family some slight relief.
“I would appeal again to the Russians to treat him well and humanely. I would also appeal to the Foreign Office to do all they can to ensure that my brother is kept safe. Each day that he’s in Russian hands is a worry for us. The longer it goes on, the worse it’ll be for him.”
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