Former Brit soldier 'captured by Russia' while fighting in Ukraine
24 November 2024, 23:35
A former British soldier has been captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine, state media has claimed.
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In a video posted on Sunday, the man identified himself as James Scott Rhys Anderson, aged 22.
He says in the footage that he was a former British Army soldier who signed up to fight for Ukraine's International Legion after being fired from his job.
Read More: Britain now 'directly involved in war in Ukraine', Russian ambassador to UK says
Dressed in army fatigues, the man speaking in an English accent said: "I was in the British Army before, from 2019 to 2023, 22 Signal Regiment."
He says in the footage he was "just a private", "a signalman" in "One Signal Brigade, 22 Signal Regiment, 252 Squadron".
"When I left… got fired from my job, I applied on the International Legion webpage. I had just lost everything. I just lost my job," he said.
"My dad was away in prison, I see it on the TV. It was a stupid idea."
In a second video, the man is shown with his hands tied and tape over his eyes.
Detailing his supposed journey, he said: "I flew to Krakow, Poland, from London Luton. Bus from there to Medyka in Poland, on the Ukraine border."
Russian state news agency Tass reported that a military source said a "UK mercenary" had been "taken prisoner in the Kursk area" of Russia.
