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Britons Captured In Ukraine Appear On Russian TV, Ask For Swap with Medvedchuk

Britons Captured In Ukraine Appear On Russian TV, Ask For Swap with Medvedchuk
folder_openEurope... access_timeone year ago
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By Staff, Agencies

Two British fighters, who were captured in Ukraine by Russian forces, appeared on Russia’s state TV and asked to be freed in exchange for pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk.

In a video published by Rossiya 24 [Russia-24] on Monday, Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, who fought on the Ukrainian side in Mariupol, called on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to exchange them for Medvedchuk, who is being held by the Ukrainian authorities.

“I would like to appeal to the [British] government to send me back home, I would like to see my wife again,” Pinner said, making a direct and passionate appeal to Johnson.

“We look to exchange myself and Aiden Aslin for Mr. Medvedchuk. Obviously I would really appreciate your help in this matter,” he pleaded.

In the footage, an unidentified man shows the two Britons a video of Medvedchuk's wife Oksana making an appeal for her husband to be swapped for the two British fighters.

Medvedchuk is a detained pro-Russia tycoon and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. He leads Ukraine's biggest opposition party, the Opposition Platform for Life.

Ukraine on Monday aired a video showing Medvedchuk making an appeal to be exchanged in return for an evacuation of civilians and troops from the besieged port city of Mariupol.

He was placed under house arrest last year to face treason and terrorism financing charges.

Two days after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine; he managed to escape the house arrest but was recaptured by Ukrainian forces last week.

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