Two British fighters captured by Russian forces in Mariupol “should not have been there”, a UK minister has said - despite at least one of them officially serving in Ukraine’s army.
Shaun Pinner, 48, and Aiden Aslin, 28, appeared in separate videos on Russian state TV on Monday asking to be exchanged for a captured ally of Vladimir Putin held in Ukraine.
Asked on Sky News whether a possible swap was something the government would get involved with, Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis said: “We’re going through the process of sanctioning people who are close to Putin regime, we’re not going to be looking at how we can help Russia.
“They shouldn’t have been there, it is an illegal act to be there. Obviously anybody would have sympathy with somebody who has been taken hostage but we have got to make sure that we follow proper processes.”
Mr Lewis, who said he did not want to comment on the specific situation of the two men, added: “We always have responsibility for British citizens, which we take seriously.
“We’ve got to get the balance right in Ukraine and that’s why I say to anybody: do not travel illegally to Ukraine. That is not the way to do it.”
Both Britons are understood to have been living in Ukraine before it was invaded and had both been serving as marines in Ukraine’s military.
In Mr Pinner’s case, the Foreign Office issued a statement confirming this, adding he was neither a volunteer nor a mercenary.
It is not the case that he travelled to Ukraine to fight, which is what the UK government had previously warned about.
Mr Pinner, a former Royal Anglian soldier who is originally from Bedfordshire, was captured in Mariupol while fighting with the Ukrainian marines, while Mr Aslin, originally from Nottinghamshire, had been defending the besieged city before having to surrender after running out of food and ammunition.
The two men asked prime minister Boris Johnson to help bring them home in exchange for Ukraine releasing pro-Russian politician and oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, whose close friend Mr Putin is godfather to his youngest daughter Daryna.
It is not clear whether their pleas to the prime minister, shown on the Rossiya 24 channel, were made freely or under duress.
Mr Medvedchuk was shown in a video released around the same time on Monday by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service asking to be swapped too.
In his appeal to president Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, he asked to be exchanged for the defenders of Mariupol and any civilians allowed to leave.
Mr Pinner’s family explained he was not a volunteer or mercenary who had travelled to Ukraine, but instead was an official member of the Ukrainian Army who relocated to the country four years ago.
In a statement released by the Foreign Office (FCDO), his family said: “Shaun was a well-respected soldier within the British Army serving in the Royal Anglian Regiment for many years. He served in many tours including Northern Ireland and with the United Nations in Bosnia.
“In 2018 Shaun decided to relocate to Ukraine to use his previous experience and training within the Ukraine military.
“Shaun enjoyed the Ukrainian way of life and considered Ukraine as his adopted country over the last four years. During this time, he met his Ukrainian wife, who is very focused on the humanitarian needs of the country.
“He progressed into the Ukrainian Marines as a proud member of his unit.
“We would like to make it clear he is not a volunteer nor a mercenary, but officially serving with the Ukrainian Army in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.”
Mr Pinner’s sister, Cassandra Pinner, reportedly suggested his family had been in discussions about a potential prisoner swap.
She told the Daily Mail: “A prisoner exchange is a move that is being considered, not necessarily with Viktor Medvedchuk, but it’s something being discussed.”
The Independent has approached the Foreign Office for comment on whether Mr Aslin is a serving member of the Ukraine army.
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