British soldier captured in Russia: First since Ukraine war began
James Scott Rhys Anderson, a 22-year-old former British Army private now serving in the International Legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has been captured by the Russian military in the Kursk region, the BBC reports, citing Russian media sources.
According to the "New York Times," this marks the first instance since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine that a soldier from a Western country has been detained on Russian territory. Russian media describe Anderson as a "British mercenary" from a battalion comprising roughly 500 Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian military operations have been ongoing since August.
Currently, Ukrainian forces are repelling a counterattack by Russian troops, likely supported by soldiers from North Korea.
A video posted online shows a man in uniform identifying himself as Anderson. He states that he served as a private in the British Army from 2019 to 2023. He explains that he joined the legion after losing his job and watching war coverage in Ukraine on television. He adds that he flew from London Luton Airport to Kraków, then took a bus to the Ukrainian border.
The BBC reports the British Foreign Office is "supporting the Briton's family regarding reports of his detention." James's father, Scott Anderson, confirmed the video's authenticity in an interview with the "Daily Mail" and expressed concern that his son may be tortured by Russian authorities. He noted that he had daily contact with his son as recently as last week when James was in the Ukrainian Sumy region near the Russian border.
The "New York Times" reports that Russian investigators will likely charge Anderson with being a mercenary and participating illegally in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, for which he faces up to 15 years in prison.
