Russia arrests British citizen fighting with Ukraine in Kursk region

(CLO) The Russian military has detained a British citizen fighting with the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region, which is partly occupied by Ukraine, according to the TASS news agency on November 25, citing an unnamed source in law enforcement.

The soldier has been identified as James Scott Rhys Anderson. He said he served as a British Army signalman for four years and then joined the Ukrainian International Corps, which was formed at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In Ukraine, Anderson was a trainer for the Ukrainian army and was deployed to the Kursk region against his will. TASS released a video of the grandfather saying in English that he "didn't want to be here."

If confirmed, this would be one of the first publicly known cases of a Western citizen being captured while fighting for Ukraine on Russian soil.

The British embassy in Moscow said officials were "supporting the family of a British man following reports of his arrest" but gave no further details.

Russian servicemen operate the Uragan self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense

The soldier's father, Scott Anderson, said his son's Ukrainian commander informed him that the young man had been captured.

Scott Anderson said his son served in the British Army for four years, then briefly worked as a detention officer before going to fight in Ukraine. He had tried to persuade his son not to join the Ukrainian army, and now fears for his safety.

The International Protection Corps for Ukraine was created at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shortly after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022.

This is a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, consisting mainly of foreign volunteers. In addition, Ukraine recruits foreigners into other units of the army, forming squads, companies or even battalions.

At the beginning of the war, Ukrainian authorities said more than 20,000 people from 52 countries had come to Ukraine to help the country fight Russia.

Ngoc Anh (according to AP, TASS)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nga-bat-giu-cong-dan-anh-chien-dau-cung-ukraine-o-khu-vuc-kursk-post322818.html