Interrogation videos show a British national participated in a Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory.
Reports indicate that a 22-year-old former British Army signalman, James Scott Rhys Anderson, has been apprehended in Russia’s Kursk region while fighting with the Ukrainian International Legion, a group Moscow classifies as mercenaries.
According to RIA Novosti and TASS, Russian forces detained Anderson near Plekhovo, about 5 kilometers inside Russian territory. Russian Telegram channels have released several videos of his interrogation.
Anderson, who served in the British Army’s 1st Signal Brigade, 22 Signal Regiment, 252 Squadron from 2019 to 2023, stated he joined the Legion due to financial difficulties after leaving the military.
“It was a stupid idea,” he reportedly said. “I had just lost everything – my job, and my dad was away in prison.”
He described applying online, traveling from London to Krakow, and then by bus to the Ukrainian border. Regarding his presence in Russia, Anderson claimed his commanders sent him there against his will.
“I don’t want to be here,” he told interrogators, alleging his commanders confiscated his passport and phone and forced him into a vehicle.
The UK Ministry of Defence has not commented on the capture. The Foreign Office, however, confirmed to The Guardian that it is “supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention.”
Earlier this month, the family of another British man, who died fighting for Ukraine at an undisclosed location, reported his death less than two months after his 22nd birthday.
In August, Ukraine deployed some of its best troops to the northern border, aiming to slow Russian advances. However, Russia claims that Ukraine has since suffered significant losses in Kursk, including over 34,500 casualties and hundreds of tanks.
Facing dwindling volunteer numbers and heavy losses, Ukraine continues to reject compromise with Moscow. Russia alleges Ukraine is using its soldiers as “cannon fodder” in a Western proxy war, with President Zelensky complicit in this.
Moscow considers the incursion a significant turning point, stating peace talks are impossible until Ukrainian troops withdraw from Kursk. The UK, conversely, maintains its commitment to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” according to Defence Secretary John Healey. London also permits Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles deeper into Russia.