To Secure Release Of Two Britons Sentenced To Death Ukraine Will Swap Prisoners

As Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary and Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, spoke to their Ukrainian counterparts as the Government looked to “leave no stone unturned” to secure the release of the two men.

According to report, Ukraine “will swap” prisoners to secure the release of the two captured Britons who were sentenced to death, the country’s ambassador to the UK said on Friday.

Vadym Prystaiko suggested that the men - both serving members of the Ukrainian military who were detained in the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic - will be released in exchange for prisoners held by Ukrainian forces.

Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were both based in the besieged city of Mariupol before being captured.

Russian state media subsequently denounced them as mercenaries, refusing to recognise them as members of the Ukrainian armed forces.

A source told The Telegraph that the UK was keen to avoid painting their capture as a bilateral issue, as under international law they are Ukrainian prisoners of war.

“It’s really important that we don’t give the Russians any ammo to paint these guys as mercenaries,” they told The Telegraph.

“It will be a swap,” Mr Prystaiko told BBC News.

“The important question is what will be the price for this, because the Russians were talking about some Ukrainian MPs being swapped for them, especially for those who, I now understand, were working for them for all these years.”

He said the Britons had been targeted by Russia because of the UK’s “clear position” in “supporting Ukraine”.

But Mr Prystaiko clarified that the men, who had lived in Ukraine for several years, “are our people”, adding that “they have contracts with the armed forces, they lived in Ukraine before, so they are legitimately there.

“We expect Russians to remember that these are our people, now they are prisoners of war and should be treated as prisoners of war - the same way we are treating Russians who are in our captivity.”

Ms Truss on Friday spoke twice with Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, to “secure the release of prisoners of war held by Russian proxies”.

“The judgment against them is an egregious breach of the Geneva convention,” she said in a statement.

It is understood that the Government is speaking at “all levels” with the Ukrainian government on the issue, with much work being done through unofficial backchannels.

“We’re leaving no stone unturned and exploring all avenues,” a source said, confirming that the UK had not ruled out summoning the Russian ambassador.

Defence Secretary visits Ukraine

Ben Wallace on Friday revealed that he had made an unannounced visit to Ukraine where he met with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and Oleksii Rezniko, Mr Wallace’s Ukrainian counterpart.

A source confirmed that it was “likely” that Mr Wallace raised the capture of the two men with Mr Zelensky directly during his visit.

They added that the main point of the talks was to make sure the support currently being offered by the UK remains relevant and that Ukraine remains fit to fight in three months’ time.

Mr Zelensky presented him with what appeared to be a signed and framed collection of “Russian warship, go f— yourself” stamps.

The slogan has become a symbol of the national resistance after a Ukrainian guard defending Snake Island in the Black Sea dismissed an attacking ship with the words.