Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Dan Warburton & Ryan Merrifield & Ryan Fahey

Five Brits captured in Ukraine are reunited with families back on UK soil

Five Britons captured in Ukraine by pro-Russian forces have now returned to the UK after being released yesterday.

It is understood John Harding, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill were set free alongside Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Wednesday that the release of five Britons had been secured by working with Ukrainian authorities and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, but the identities of the men were not initially confirmed.

Non-profit organisation the Presidium Network, which has been supporting the family of Mr Healy, told the BBC on Thursday all five were "back safely in the UK".

Dominik Byrne, co-founder of the organisation, which has been providing aid to Kyiv, said the men were "looking forward to normality with their families after this horrific ordeal".

The Foreign Office has not commented on the whereabouts of the men.

Mr Aslin's release was confirmed by his local MP Robert Jenrick, while multiple reports also indicated that Shaun Pinner would also be returning home.

A video emerged late on Wednesday of two men sitting inside an airliner, in which Mr Aslin introduced himself.

Shaun Pinner smiling in the Saudi capital Riyadh (AFP via Getty Images)

In addition, Mr Pinner added: "We just want to let everyone know that we're now out of the danger zone and we're on our way home to our families."

Pinner returned to his mother’s home in Bedfordshire this morning where he will celebrate his release with steak and a glass of red wine.

His mother Deborah, son, sister and step-dad were reunited with him at Heathrow Airport at half past six in the morning.

Speaking with The Mirror, Deborah said her son is "safe now" as she relayed her thanks for everyone who has "helped us and him".

She said he's currently resting after the gruelling journey from the warzone to home.

The soldiers were not told they were going to be released beforehand (Instagram/cossackgundi via REUTE)

By chance, Shaun returned to the UK on his and his wife Larysa's second wedding anniversary, a jubilant Deborah wrote on Facebook earlier today.

Lyndon Price, his step-dad, said: “He has just got home. We picked him up from Heathrow this morning. He came back with the others on a British Airways flight.

“The families all came to Heathrow and we met them individually. Everyone had their own room.

"As you can imagine, it was very emotional. The flight came in about half six. They had a debrief and came in to see us.

“He wants a few days before he can talk. He has been through quite a lot. We are very, very happy that he is home. It is fantastic news.

“His son is here, my wife is here and so is his sister. We are all together.

“I have just given him a shave. I took all his beard off for him. He is well and looks fine. He is so pleased to be home.

“His wife is still in Ukraine. We are hoping to get her over."

Speaking for the first time from his home in Potton in Bedfordshire Mr Price, a product services manager, said: “They travelled into Riyadh. We believe there was an exchange. They did not know they were going to be released. It just happened.

“It has been a difficult time for him. He was defending Mariupol and lost some of his really close colleagues.”

Shaun Pinner (left) was reunited with his family at Heathrow this morning (Instagram/cossackgundi via REUTE)

Mr Price praised the work of his local MP Bedfordshire North East’s Richard Fuller who, along with the Bishop of Bedford, local people and his cricket club, who had supported the family.

He said he was grateful to the Saudis, the Government and foreign office staff who had worked behind the scenes.

He went on: “My wife has been through so much stress. We are grateful to the government agencies and hostage international.

“We are just pleased he is alive. We have been living on the edge for months with the death penalty hanging over him.

“We had not been able to talk to him. We went to the Russian ambassador and asked if he could ring. A week or so later he did ring home.

“We also met the Ukrainian ambassador and they were fantastic.”

Speaking about his release, he said: “Shaun rang us on the coach from Riyadh to the British Consul. The Foreign Office had notified us about 11 o’clock on Wednesday morning.

"My wife received a call to say ‘He is on his way. Don’t say anything until he has landed.’

Pictured: Andrew Hill (yellow) John Harding (red) Aiden Aslin (dark purple) Dylan Healy (rear purple) (Jilly Beattie)

“They were all given iPhones by the Saudis so they could ring home.”

Mr Price said: “I am sure Shaun has got a lot to say about his experience. What he has gone through is not for the faint-hearted.

“He is tired. He has had a couple of beers. He is going to have steak with a glass of red wine tonight and is looking forward to that. He is living on adrenalin.

“At some stage I think he will want to go back. He loves Ukraine. It may be he wants to get involved in humanitarian work.”

He said he and Shaun, a wicket-keeper batsman, aim to play a charity cricket match for their village team, Waresley.

He added: “He loves his cricket. For him and me to play together will be fantastic.”

A Ukrainian flag still hangs from the front of the family’s home. He said: “That flag will be there until such time as they get their country back.”

Aiden Aslin (dark purple) Dylan Healy (rear) (Jilly Beattie)

Mr Pinner interjected: "By the skin of our teeth, "as Mr Aslin continued: "We just want everyone to know the good news etc, so thanks to everyone that's been supporting us and whatnot, so it's really muchly appreciated."

Mr Pinner added: "Thanks to everybody."

A court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic had sentenced Mr Aslin to death alongside fellow British detainee Mr Pinner in July.

Ms Truss, who is visiting New York for a UN summit where world leaders are discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine, tweeted: "Hugely welcome news that five British nationals held by Russian-backed proxies in eastern Ukraine are being safely returned, ending months of uncertainty and suffering for them and their families."

She thanked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky "for his efforts to secure the release of detainees, and Saudi Arabia for their assistance".

"Russia must end the ruthless exploitation of prisoners of war and civilian detainees for political ends," Ms Truss added.

Mr Harding, along with Mr Hill and Mr Healy, went on trial last month in the city of Donetsk, Russian media reported.

The three, along with Swede Matthias Gustafsson and Croat Vjekoslav Prebeg, all pleaded not guilty to charges of mercenarism and "undergoing training to seize power by force", according to Russian media.

The next court hearing in their case was scheduled for October, the Interfax news agency reported, citing a statement by the separatists' court.

Associated Press said the 10 prisoners included citizens of Sweden, Croatia and Morocco, as well as two US military veterans, Alex Drueke, 40, and Andy Huynh, 27.

Mr Jenrick said he was "deeply grateful" to the Ukrainian government, as well as the Saudi Crown Prince and the Foreign Office, for securing the release.

He added: "Aiden's return brings to an end months of agonising uncertainty for Aiden's loving family in Newark who suffered every day of Aiden's sham trial but never lost hope. As they are united as a family once more, they can finally be at peace."

Aiden Aslin, who alongside Pinner was sentenced to death by the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic (@Jake_Hanrahan/Twitter)

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the release "brings to an end many months of uncertainty and suffering, including the threat of the death penalty, for them and their families, at the hands of Russia".

"Tragically that was not the case for one of those detained and our thoughts remain with the family of Paul Urey."

The British aid volunteer died earlier this year while being detained by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine.

"I would like to express my gratitude to President Zelensky and his team for their efforts to secure their release, and to HRH Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman and his team, for their assistance," the Foreign Secretary said in a statement.

"I continue to call on Russia to comply with International Humanitarian Law and not exploit prisoners of war and civilian detainees for political purposes."

Allan Hogarth, from Amnesty International UK, called it a "huge relief after a "sham judicial process apparently designed to exert diplomatic pressure on the UK".

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.