Report: Russia captures British man fighting in Ukraine
Video shows man in captivity identifying himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson.
LONDON — A British man fighting for Ukraine has been captured by Russian forces in the Kursk region, according to multiple media reports.
A video circulating on Telegram channel Troyka shows a question-and-answer session with a captive man, who identifies himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson, a former member of the British army who signed up to serve in Ukraine’s International Legion.
The U.K. Foreign Office said in a statement that it is “supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention.” Russian state news agency Tass cited an unnamed “military source” who said: “A mercenary from Britain has been taken prisoner in the Kursk area.”
Rhys Anderson’s father, Scott, told British outlet the Daily Mail overnight that he was in “complete shock” and expressed fears his son will be tortured.
“We spoke on WhatsApp almost every day until he went on his most recent operation,” Scott Anderson said. “He was acting as a signalman.”
Kyiv’s military captured parts of Kursk in August in an operation that represented the first military offensive into Russia since World War II. North Korean soldiers have since been deployed to help Russia repel the incursion, prompting condemnation from Ukraine’s allies in the West.
What's Your Reaction?
