A British man fighting alongside the Ukrainians has been captured and beaten by pro-Russian forces, his family fear.
Aiden Aslin, who is from Newark in Nottinghamshire and has been fighting in the besieged city of Mariupol, was forced to surrender with his comrades earlier this week after they ran out of food and ammunition.
An image that purported to show a beaten, bruised and handcuffed Aslin was posted on a Twitter account belonging to him on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by a message saying, “It looks as if they have gotten ahold of Aiden.” Images on Russian television also appeared to show Aslin with a cut on his forehead being led around in handuffs.
His mother, Ang Wood, told the Daily Telegraph she believed the images were of her son due to a tattoo on his arm that said “Happy Days” and called on the Russian government to treat her son as a prisoner of war in accordance with international rules.
She told the paper she was “in bits”, adding: “I now hold Vladimir Putin to the terms of the Geneva convention. Aiden is a serving member of the Ukrainian armed forces and as such is a prisoner of war and must be treated with humanity.
“It already looks like he has been beaten up. It is time now for the British government to get involved and help secure Aiden’s release.”
Aslin has a Ukrainian fiancee and now has dual citizenship, having moved to Ukraine in 2018.
It is understood that UK diplomats are working to determine the whereabouts of British nationals in Ukraine, but its ability to provide consular services in the country is severely limited due to the conflict.
Officials said that, given the situation in Ukraine, their ability to obtain information and provide consular services on the ground was severely limited. They added that they expected any detainees to be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law.
After the news emerged, Aslin’s local MP, Robert Jenrick, said he was working with the Foreign Office to “track the whereabouts and secure the release of my constituent, Aiden Aslin. Aiden chose to risk his life because he believes passionately in the Ukrainian people’s right to live in freedom and democracy.”
He told the Guardian: “I am very concerned for the safety of my constituent, Aiden Aslin, who has been fighting with the Ukrainian army. He must be treated properly by the Russian authorities. Using images of prisoners of war for propaganda is wrong and in contravention of the Geneva convention. I have raised the matter with the FCDO and am in contact with them in connection with this.”
Wood previously told the BBC her son’s unit had “put up one hell of a fight”, but had been left with no choice but to surrender because they had “no weapons left”. She called on Boris Johnson to find a way to “take Putin down”.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the last Ukrainian soldiers defending Mariupol said they were “running out of ammunition” and expected to be killed or taken prisoner soon. “We were bombed from airplanes and shot at by artillery and tanks. We have been doing everything possible and impossible. But any resource has the potential to run out,” said the 36th brigade.
