Two videos aired by Russian state television this Monday feature prisoners identified as Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, both described as British citizens who allegedly fought in Ukraine. The broadcasters report that the men are seeking a prisoner swap and ask Prime Minister Boris Johnson to approve their release.
In a separate development, two other individuals are named as potential trade assets: Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian businessman with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was detained in Ukraine, and two Britons who are reportedly held by different hands in the region around Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. It remains unclear who currently holds the two Britons, whether Russian troops or separatist forces aligned with them.
Both segments present clips as if conducted by journalist Andrei Rudenko for VGTRK, the state broadcaster in Russia. The footage includes a video released the previous week by Oksana Marchenko, Medvedchuk’s wife, in which she pleads for her husband’s exchange for the two British prisoners. In another part, the detainees speak in English, requesting a swap. The location of their capture has not been disclosed.
Russian media coverage suggests that the two Britons were captured after clashes with Ukrainian forces near Mariupol, and that they belonged to a unit that recently surrendered to Russian forces.
Recording of Medvedchuk
The Security Service of Ukraine released footage in which Medvedchuk calls on both Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a swap involving himself for civilians and defenders in Mariupol who reportedly lack safe access to humanitarian corridors. The recording places the speaker in a siege environment characteristic of the city described in ongoing war coverage.
Medvedchuk is shown arguing that his release should trade for residents and soldiers in Mariupol who are cut off from humanitarian routes. The video notes his past detention for alleged attempts to flee to Russia after more than a year under house arrest. His wife has publicly claimed she would endure torture to learn more about Russia’s strategy.
Last week, Ukraine announced the seizure of assets connected to Medvedchuk, a move that Kyiv framed as part of a broader crackdown amid the ongoing crisis. Zelensky shared a social post showing Medvedchuk in handcuffs, underscoring Kyiv’s stance on accountability. Kyiv officials also indicated that Medvedchuk had attempted to disguise his identity by wearing Ukrainian military attire.
The families of Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin said they were collaborating with government channels in London while waiting for updates on the rights of prisoners of war, in line with the Geneva Conventions. The British Foreign Office confirmed that both men are in Ukrainian military service under national law and noted that their status would be governed by international humanitarian law.
Family statements describe Shaun Pinner as not merely a volunteer or mercenary but a person officially serving in the Ukrainian armed forces. They also note his long connection to Ukraine, including several years of residence since 2018 and his marriage to a Ukrainian citizen. The family recounts his prior military service with the United Nations and with the Royal Anglian Regiment, an infantry unit of the British Army with history in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.