A British marine who spent five months in a hellish Russian cell after being captured by enemy forces in Mariupol has shared his experiences on the front line.
Aiden Aslin was seized during the brutal fight in the besieged southern city in April and paraded in front of the world’s media.
When he was captured the British-born Ukrainian marine 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 earlier revealed he was beaten, stabbed and forced to listen to Soviet music while trapped in his small cell, 24 hours a day.
And now he has spoken more about his time in Putin’s cell.
He told The Telegraph : “The Ukrainian marines alongside the national guard and the border guards and the police in Mariupol ended up putting up a hell of a fight.
“Our fight helped the rest of Ukraine, because Russia was preoccupied with Mariupol so there were other places they had to lose, like pulling out from north of Kyiv because they couldn't sustain it.
“What I want is to see all our brothers and sisters who were captured brought back to their families. Pretty much the whole 36th brigade was wiped out.”
In July the captured Brit was sentenced to death in a Donetsk court with fellow countryman Shaun Pinner.
Mr Aslin’s release came unexpectedly in September, following high-level diplomatic talks partly brokered by Saudi Arabia.
He eventually found out Russian forces came within a kilometre of his family’s home before they were stopped.
Aiden earlier told The Sun of his ordeal: "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.
Despite the torture and death sentence the Brit said he was sure he would make it back to his loved ones sooner or later.
Mr Aslin was hailed as a defender of "democracy and freedom" by their former commander in Ukraine.
