Two British soldiers who were detained after fighting in Ukraine have reportedly been told they could face the death penalty.
Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were both captured within days of each other while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in the besieged city of Mariupol last month.
They have since appeared in separate videos pleading to be swapped for pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk.
The prosecutor of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic appeared to be smirking as he told the British fighters of their charges.
Both men were told they were charged with crimes against civilians.
Prosecutor Andrei Spivak said: “They are charged with a number of crimes against civilians of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
“The maximum punishment for these crimes is the death penalty.”
Aslin was heard saying he understood the accusations against him but did not agree that he had murdered civilians while fighting for the Ukrainians in Mariupol.
It is unlikely these charges could have been brought without Russia's approval.
The prosecutor said: "In the period from approximately December 2018 to April 2022 Shaun Pinner, Aiden John Mark Aslin, and [another foreign fighter] acting deliberately by a group of persons by prior agreement as part of the armed forces of Ukraine, being on the territory of Donetsk People’s Republic [DPR] in a time of war, being armed with firearms, took part in the preparation and military actions against the Armed Forces of the Donetsk People's Republic for the purpose of forcibly seizing and forcibly retaining power on the territory of DPR, violating its constitution, by committing terrorist acts, diversions, explosions, shelling from artillery, mortar, small arms of settlements, peaceful citizens, military of the Armed Forces of DPR, committing murders of the citizens of DPR, threatening of the civilians, who carried out their will during the referendum on May 11, 2014, which resulted in the forming of the state Donetsk People Republic. Do you understand the essence of the charges, do you plead guilty?”
Aslin said to the camera: “I understand fully what I am accused offend I agree with it fully up to the part about murdering civilians - I don’t agree with.
“I agree with the fact that I fought on the territory of the [DPR], and fought against the soldiers of the [DPR] in peaceful settlements.
He admitted using arms and weapons systems alongside other foreigners including Pinner.
Pinner also acknowledged that he understood the charges.
Neither of the men was seen entering a plea and nor did they react to the threat to use the death penalty as the ultimate punishment.
It is unclear if they were told directly about the death penalty because the prosecutor is seen revealing this to the camera.
Russia has suspended the use of the death penalty and it has not been used since 1996, although there are moves to use it again.
The DPR is a state unrecognised in the world except by Russia. Under International law, it is part of Ukraine.
The British men were fighting in an area at the time controlled by Ukraine.
Aslin is from Newark, Nottingham, and was already living in Ukraine when the war broke out.
In 2018, he joined Ukraine's armed forces as a marine and has since applied for citizenship there.
Pinner is from Bedfordshire and a former Royal Anglian soldier.
The Brit moved to Ukraine four years ago before joining the Ukrainian marines in hopes of passing over the expertise he picked up while in the British Army.
