Bandaged British ‘mercenary’ captured in Ukraine paraded on Russian state TV

Andrew Hill, reportedly from Plymouth, was shown captured while being questioned by unidentified Russians, in a video released by the country’s defence ministry. It comes following reports of former British soldiers travelling to Ukraine to fight alongside the defending military. 

The man, who appeared injured in a camouflage outfit, giving his name as Andrew Hill and speaking with a British accent.

In the footage, he can be seen with a bandage of some form around his head and blood on his right arm.

While being questioned, Mr Hill said: “I don’t have a rank […] I just know the foreign legion said I could help.”

The Russian defence ministry claimed that he had surrendered to Russian troops in the Mykolaiv region, in the south-west of Ukraine. 

Britain’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment when approached by Reuters.

Mr Hill said during the interrogation that he hailed from Plymouth, had four children and a partner.

He said he had travelled of his own accord to help Ukraine. He had been carrying a weapon when captured, he said, and Russian forces had taken his passport.

When the man asked if he was safe, one of the Russians answered: “Yes you are safe absolutely.”

The Russians said he would get medical care for his injuries – which appeared to include a bullet wound of some kind.

In February, during the opening stage of Vladimir Putin’s costly and bloody invasion, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she endorsed British nationals travelling to Ukraine to fight alongside Ukrainian forces, despite concerns it may be against the law.

Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, distanced himself from Ms Truss’s comments, which were later criticised by Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the defence staff. 

Since the invasion, stories have emerged of Britons helping in Ukraine. 

In late March, former British soldiers fighting alongside pro-Ukrainian forces, which at the time were pushing the Russian army out of the Kyiv suburbs, described the horrors they had witnessed as “much worse than anything we experienced in Afghanistan”.

However, in recent days reports have emerged of what is believed to be the first British national to perish as part of the ongoing war.

Yesterday (Thursday), the Foreign Office confirmed the death of Scott Sibley, a 36-year-old British army veteran, while fighting against Russian forces.

Another British national is also missing, thought to be fighting in Ukraine.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said of them: “We are aware of a British national who is missing in Ukraine and are supporting their family. We are urgently seeking further information.”

Britons Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin were captured by Russian forces trying to protect the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

They were featured in Russian propaganda videos, which have since been taken off both Facebook and YouTube.

Mr Aslin’s mother, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, last week begged Russian forces to free her son. 

source: express.co.uk