Two Captured Britons Appear on Russian State TV, Ask to Be Swapped
Two Captured Britons Appear on Russian State TV, Ask to Be Swapped
(Reuters) – Two British fighters captured by Russian forces in Ukraine appeared on Russian state TV on Monday and asked to be exchanged for a pro-Russian politician who is being held by Ukrainian authorities.
It was unclear how freely the two individuals – Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin – were able to talk. At the behest of some unknown person, both of them started talking separately. The footage was broadcast on the Rossiya 24 state TV channel.
Two men asked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to help bring Ukraine’s pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk home in exchange for his release, shown in a video released by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service around the same time on Monday , which was also asked to swap.
Medvedchuk, in his appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, called on the defenders of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and allowed any civilians to leave.
Pinner and Aslin both fought on the Ukrainian side at Mariupol, which is now almost entirely under Russian control.
An unidentified man shown on Russian state TV was seen on his mobile phone showing two Britons a video of Medvedchuk’s wife Oksana urging her husband to swap two British nationals over the weekend.
On 24 February, three days after Russia moved its forces to Ukraine, Ukraine said Medvedchuk had escaped from house arrest. He was placed under house arrest in May 2021 and charged with high treason and later supporting terrorism.
The pro-Russian man, who calls Putin his daughter’s godfather, has denied wrongdoing.
“I understand the situation,” Pinner said after being shown the video, looking tired and nervous.
He said, ‘I want to appeal to the government to send me back home, I want to see my wife again.
Pinner made a direct appeal to Johnson on his own behalf and on behalf of Aslin.
“We would like to exchange me and Aiden Aslin for Mr. Medvedchuk. Apparently, I really appreciate your help in this matter, ”he said as he spoke a little Russian and went with him. Well. had behaved.
The unidentified man was then shown talking to Aslin, sitting in a chair wearing a T-shirt symbolizing Ukraine’s far-right Azov battalion.
“I think Boris needs to listen to what Oksana (Medvedchuk’s wife) said,” said Aslin, who looked bewildered.
“If Boris Johnson really cares about British citizens as he says he does then he will help.”
Credit:-https://www.usnews.com/
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