A friend of Aiden Aslin has said described him as a man with a "heart of gold". Mr Aslin, 28, from Newark, fought for Ukraine and was captured by Russia in April, and it's now been reported he has been handed a death sentence after being accused of being "mercenaries".
His family have pleaded for the death sentence to be overturned, saying "we love Aiden with all our hearts". People living in Balderton, where the Aslin family live, have described the situation as "absolutely awful".
Both men are members of regular Ukrainian military units fighting in Mariupol, the southern port city which was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting since Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Interfax, a Russian news agency, has claimed the men would be able to appeal against their convictions.
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The captures have been used as a bargaining chip by Vladimir Putin's regime for the release of a pro-Russian politician being held in Ukraine. Mr Aslin moved to Ukraine in 2018 and later joined the armed forces.
Also appearing at a court in the separatist Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) was fellow Briton Shaun Pinner, 48. It is claimed by state-owned Russian news agency RIA that the pair have admitted "training in order to carry out terrorist activities".
Brennan Phillips, an American former soldier who met Mr Aslin in Syria and worked alongside him in Ukraine, said the judgement is a "provocation". He described Mr Aslin as a "humble guy" too.
Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr Phillips said: "I trained Aslin in Syria. Aiden became a friend of mine, more so than a person that I trained. He's a humble guy, heart of gold.
"He used to be a care worker, which is just a testament to who he is as a person. That's what compelled him to go to Syria to help people, and also why he came to Ukraine to help people here.
"Aiden is a Ukrainian. He signed up for the Ukrainian marine corp, he has a fiancé, a home here.
"Emotionally, I worry about it, but logically I think about it and I do not think they'll be executed. I do think they'll be released, I have hope for that.
"Anyone who's lived under Russian rule is not surprised about what's happened. Outraged, angered, but not surprised."
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Phillips said: "I think it will invigorate people more than anything. Whatever effect they thought they would have in this provocation, I don't think that and I don't think it's going to be well-received. And they did this as a provocation."
Taking to Twitter, Conservative MP for Newark Robert Jenrick, who knows Mr Aslin's mother and grandmother from his time as an MP, condemned the "disgusting Soviet show trial". Speaking on BBC News, he said the Brits are being "used as hostages to make a point".
Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Friday (June 10) morning, he said: "I was so worried for the families, and I'm outraged that they have been treated in this manner. They've been sentenced to death for no good reason, it's appalling to see British citizens being treated like this.
"There is no credibility in this Russia case. The issue will be resolved between Ukraine Government and Russia rather than the UK, but it's important for me to push this as much as I can."
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will raise this case with her Ukrainian counterpart on Friday. She has called it a "sham judgement" and insisted it has "absolutely no legitimacy".
The Foreign Secretary said: "I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy.
"My thoughts are with the families. We continue to do everything we can to support them."
A No 10 spokesman said: "We are obviously deeply concerned by this. We have said continually that prisoners of war shouldn't be exploited for political purposes.
"Under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities. So we will continue to work with the Ukrainian authorities to try to secure the release of any British nationals who were serving in the Ukrainian armed forces and who are being held as prisoners of war."
Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight Bob Seely, who sits on the foreign affairs select committee, accused Russia of breaking international law.
He told the BBC: "I very much hope they are not killed quickly - they may be killed quickly as shock value. But if, as everyone expects, they are not then they will be held as a diplomatic tool and I think the bigger picture here - what is happening - is that the Russians are going to become increasingly aggressive as part of the indirect conflict against the Baltic republics, against the Poles, against the UK and others who are close to the Ukrainian government and are supporting the Ukrainians in the conflict."
