Former British soldier ‘captured by Russia’ while fighting in Ukraine

November 24, 2024, 11:35 p.m

State media reports that the former British soldier was captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine.

In the video released on Sunday, the man identified himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson.

In the recording, he says that he was a former British army soldier who, after being fired, joined the International Legion of Ukraine.

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A man dressed in a military uniform and speaking with an English accent said: “I was previously in the British Army, from 2019 to 2023, in the 22nd Signal Regiment.”

In the recording he says that he was “just a private”, a “signaler” in “One Signal Brigade, 22 Signal Regiment, 252 Squadron”.

“When I left… got fired, I applied on the International Legion website. I just lost everything. I just lost my job,” he said.

“My dad was in prison, I see it on TV. It was a stupid idea.”

In the second video, the man’s hands are tied and his eyes are taped shut.

Describing his alleged trip, he said: “I flew to Krakow, Poland from London Luton. From there, take a bus to Medyka in Poland, on the border with Ukraine.

Russian state news agency Tass reported that a military source said the “British mercenary” had been “taken prisoner in the Kursk area” of Russia.