A British man who was fighting for Ukraine has been captured by Russian forces, according to reports.
Describing himself as a former British army soldier, the man identifies himself as James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, in a video that was first posted on Telegram before being widely circulated on Sunday.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that a military source said a “UK mercenary” had been “taken prisoner in the Kursk area” of Russia.
The UK Foreign Office told The Independent it was “supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention”.
The man in the footage is dressed in combat fatigues and speaks with an English accent while appearing to have his hands tied.
He said to the camera: “I was in the British army before, from 2019 to 2023, 22 Signal Regiment. Just a private. I was a signalman. One Signal Brigade, 22 Signal Regiment, 252 Squadron.”
He explained that he signed up to fight for Ukraine’s International Legion after losing his job.
“When I left, I got fired from my job, I applied on the International Legion webpage. I had just lost everything. I just lost my job,” he said.
“I see it on the TV,” he added, shaking his head. “It was a stupid idea.”
He described how he had travelled to Ukraine from Britain, saying: “I flew to Krakow, Poland, from London Luton. Bus from there to Medyka in Poland, on the Ukraine border.”
The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment.
