A Brit captured by Russian forces after fighting in Ukraine says he was beaten, stabbed and forced to listen to Soviet music while trapped in his small cell, 24 hours a day.
Aiden Aslin was one of five Brits recently released from captivity of Russian-backed forces.
He confessed he didn’t think he’d survive the horrific experience but was set free Wednesday and landed back in Britain early Thursday.
Mr Aslin detailed his torture and torment with the Notts-born 28-year-old saying he had been in Ukraine for a number of years and was already serving with the army before the outbreak of the war.
Fighting in one of the war’s hotspots in Mariupol, his battalion ran out of food and ammunition during the city’s siege in April.
He desperately rang up his mum and Ukrainian girlfriend before they all surrendered and said: "No matter what, I will see you again."
But when he was captured, Mr Aslin said his captors punched him when they realised he was British. They then separated him from the others and began interviewing him.
He was taken to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, where he was beaten during an interrogation prior to the Russian-backed forces announcing his capture to the world.
He told The Sun : "The officer was smoking a cigarette and knelt down in front of me to ask, 'Do you know who I am?' I said 'no' and he replied in Russian, 'I am your death'.
"He said, 'Did you see what I did to you?'. He pointed to my back. He showed me his knife and I realised he'd stabbed me.
"He then asked me, 'Do you want a quick death or a beautiful death?'.”
Aiden asked for a quick death but said the Russian “smiled” and said it wouldn’t be fast.
In July the captured Brit was sentenced to death in a Donetsk court with fellow countryman Shaun Pinner.
During the ordeal he described wanting to cry but not being able to as it was all a “matter of surviving”.
Despite the torture and death sentence the Brit said he was sure he would make it back to his loved ones sooner or later.
It is understood Mr Aslin was set free on Wednesday alongside Mr Pinner, John Harding, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill, landing in Britain in the early hours of Thursday morning.
A photo issued by the Foreign Office appeared to show a beaming Mr Pinner with his loved ones.
Mr Harding, Mr Pinner and Mr Aslin were hailed as defenders of "democracy and freedom" by their former commander in Ukraine.
They are believed to have served in the Georgian Legion, a pro-Ukrainian volunteer unit, under Mamuka Mamulashvili.
"All those guys did their best to defend democracy and freedom," Mr Mamulashvili said.
It comes as the family of British aid worker Paul Urey, who was reported to have died while being detained by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine, said the repatriation of his body will give them closure.
