'I am your death': Harrowing words of Russian officer who tortured Brit Aiden Aslin

25 September 2022, 07:58 | Updated: 25 September 2022, 08:03

A Brit who was captured by pro-Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine has spoken about how he was beaten and stabbed in five months of horrific captivity – when one officer asked if he wanted a quick or beautiful death.

Aiden Aslin said he never thought he would get out of captivity alive, having asked his commander to tell his family he loved them when they surrendered.

He was finally exchanged in a prisoner swap and has been reunited with his mother and Ukrainian fiancé, apparently after former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich intervened.

"I never thought I'd get out alive," Mr Aslin told The Sun on Sunday.

He had joined the Ukrainian marines after moving to Ukraine in 2018 and falling in love with Diane Okovyta.

His unit became surrounded after running out of food and ammunition during the horrific fighting at Mariupol in April, forcing them into a surrender.

He told his mother Angela Wood and Diane that he would see them again before they surrendered.

But when soldiers realised he was a Brit he was punched in the face and separated from his comrades.

He told his commander he would probably be killed and to tell his family that he loves them.

Mr Aslin was then taken to a detention centre in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, a region partly under separatist, pro-Russian control.

As he was repeatedly beaten with a nightstick during his interrogation, he was threatened with having his ear cut off.

His bruises were on full display when images emerged of him in detention.

"The officer was smoking a cigarette and knelt down in front of me to ask, 'Do you know who I am?' I said 'no' and he replied in Russian, 'I am your death'," Mr Aslin said.

"He said, 'Did you see what I did to you?'. He pointed to my back. He showed me his knife and I realised he’d stabbed me. He then asked me, 'Do you want a quick death or a beautiful death?'.

"I replied in Russian, 'A quick death'. He smiled and said 'No, you're going to have a beautiful death… and I'm going to make sure it’s a beautiful death."

He was held in a cramped cell, measuring 4ft by 6ft, which was infested with cockroaches and lice, and was told to stand and sing the Russian national anthem or be beaten.

He was only allowed out to film propaganda videos and to speak to the Foreign Office.

His torment appeared like it would become fatal when he was sentenced to death by firing squad for being a mercenary – which he was not.

Mr Aslin said: "During the entire five months in captivity, I couldn't cry.

"When I heard I’d been given the death sentence I wanted to cry but I just couldn't. It was literally a matter of surviving.

"Your life is in the hands of these people and you do what they tell you to do or you suffer the consequences.

"Despite everything we went through, I knew sooner or later we would see light at the end of the tunnel and that I would get back to see Diane and my family."

He was finally released earlier in September along with four other Brits – John Harding, Shaun Pinner, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill.

One of the soldiers asked if he had heard the Queen had died, had his eyes taped and put in a truck and taken to an airport in Rostov-on-Don in Russia.

"I'd removed the tape and was trying to process where I was. I'm looking at a group of Saudis and one of the lads says, 'Is that Roman Abramovich?'" he said.

Mr Abramovich said it was "good to have you here".

He added: "We sat down and Shaun sat next to me. Abramovich was watching everyone. He was a bit shy and didn't want to hassle us. It was amazing.

"Less than 48 hours earlier I was in solitary confinement, treated worse than a dog and now I was on a plane with people who didn't want to hurt me."

Mr Aslin is now back at his mother’s home in Newark, where he has been able to meet his young nephews for the first time.