British ‘Mercenary’ Captured Inside Russian Territory Given 19-Years In Prison

A 22-year old British man who had been fighting for Ukraine was slapped with a lengthy prison sentence of 19-years by a Russian court on Wednesday in southwestern Kursk region. He’s been charged with terrorism and acting as a foreign fighter.

The detained man, identified as James Scott Rhys Anderson, has been dubbed a mercenary by Russian authorities, though it’s unclear whether he was fighting within the ranks of a private firm or perhaps Ukraine’s national armed forces.

He was detained in November reportedly inside Russian territory, fighting on behalf of Ukraine as part of the Kursk incursion, which has been on since last August.

Anderson pleaded guilty to the charges, and the British embassy has committed to giving him “all the support we can” – but likely with the guilty plea there’s little the UK government can do – other than a possible future prisoner swap arrangement.

Given that Russia has deemed Anderson a mercenary, he was not provided prisoner-of-war protections under the Geneva Conventions and thus was charged under Russia’s civil criminal code.

It’s expected that he’ll serve an initial five years in a local prison, after which he’ll be transferred to spend the remainder 14-years in a maximum security facility.

When he was first captured over three months ago, a ‘proof of life’ video was widely circulated on social media channels:

In a video posted on pro-war Russian Telegram channels on Sunday, a man wearing combat fatigues identifies himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson from the UK.

The man, speaking with an English accent, says that he served as a signalman in the British army until 2023 before joining the International Legion in Ukraine to fight against Russia.

In the footage, which has not been verified, the captured man appears with his hands tied. It is unclear when the clip was recorded.

Anderson appeared in court looking gaunt after months in jail awaiting trial…

Russian investigators said Anderson illegally entered Russia in November as part of an armed group committing “criminal acts against civilians”. However, the precise circumstances of his capture remain unclear. 

Early in the more than 3-year long conflict, UK authorities – including Liz Truss at the time – positively encouraged citizens to go and fight on behalf of Ukraine. Since then an estimated 20,000 foreigners from over 50 countries are believed to have traveled to Ukraine to assist. But these official calls from Western officials have grown silent as Ukraine’s battlefield chances have dimmed, and the front lines have seen continued Russian advances.