British man captured by Russia while fighting Ukraine

A British man has reportedly been captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine.

In a video circulating online, a man dressed in military clothing identifies himself as James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, and says he previously served in the British Army.

Russian state news agency Tass cites a military source as saying that what it calls a “UK mercenary” had been “captured in the Kursk region” in Russia, which Ukraine has been part of since launching a surprise offensive in August.

The Foreign Office said it was “supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention”.

Scott Anderson, his father, said he had told him not to go to Ukraine.

“He wanted to go out there because he thought he was doing the right thing,” Anderson told the Daily Mail.

“I hope he will be used as a bargaining chip, but my son told me that they torture their prisoners and I am so afraid that he will be tortured.”

Anderson said he was sent the video by his son’s commanding officer and was left “in complete shock and tears”.

“I could tell right away it was him. He looks scared, scared and worried,” he added.

In the video, which was first posted to the Telegram messaging platform, Mr. Anderson a man interrogating him behind a camera that he served as a private in the British Army from 2019 to 2023.

He says he joined the Ukraine International Legion – a military unit made up of foreign volunteers – after losing his job and watching TV reports about the war.

He says he flew to Krakow in Poland from Luton and traveled from there by bus to the Ukrainian border.

Ukraine launched a surprise attack into Kursk on 6 August, advancing to 18 miles (29 km) and takes control of about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory.

Russia has deployed around 50,000 troops to the region and has began to reclaim the territory in the midst of fierce battles.