A British man is believed to have been taken into custody in the Kursk region by Russian troops while he was fighting on the side of Ukraine. Named 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson, the man featured in a video that surfaced on pro-Russian Telegram channels on November 24.
In the video message, Anderson, dressed in military uniform and speaking with an English accent, introduced himself and explained his previous position as a signalman in the British Army. “I was in the British Army before, from 2019 to 2023, 22 Signal Regiment,” he said. He went on to explain how he joined Ukraine’s International Legion after losing his job.
Anderson told Sky News: “When I left… I was sacked from my job, and that made me apply on the International Legion website. At that time, I had lost everything. I had just been sacked from work. My dad was in prison; I saw it on the news. It was a stupid idea.” He then went on to explain his journey to Ukraine, revealing that he flew from London Luton to Krakow in Poland, then took a bus to the Medyka border crossing into Ukraine.
The second video depicts Anderson bound at the hands and, at one point, his eyes are covered with tape. Russian state news agency Tass confirmed the arrest of a man described as a “UK mercenary” in the Kursk region, citing a military source. The UK Foreign Office has said it is offering support to the family of a British national after reports emerged of his arrest.
The incident underlines the presence of foreign nationals amidst Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. After the 2022 call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, thousands from around the world have joined forces with Ukraine against Russian aggression, with many signing up for service in the International Legion—according to the Ukraine military, one of the most elite within its structure. Comparable circumstances have occurred historically.
In 2022, two British citizens, who were apprehended in Mariupol while serving alongside Ukrainian marine forces, received death sentences in a tribunal located in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine. Subsequently, they were released as a result of a prisoner exchange orchestrated by Saudi Arabia.
