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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Will Stewart & Antony Thrower

Russian TV claims UK fighters in Ukraine will be 'executed with British guns and bullets'

Two British fighters sentenced to death by a sham court for fighting in Ukraine will be shot with guns and bullets from the UK, according to a Russian politician.

Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, along with Moroccan Sadun Brahim, 21, were captured during the attempted defence of Mariupol.

The Brits appeared in court in the separatist Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and will appeal against the barbaric sentence.

Another British detainee Andrew Hill, 35, a father of four from Plymouth, has also been warned to expect the death penalty when his verdict is handed down.

MP Aleksey Zhuravlyov, deputy chairman of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, told Rossiya 1 state TV the DPR intends to execute them with British weapons and bullets.

British prisoners of war Aiden Aslin (first from the left) and Shaun Pinner (first from the right) were sentenced to death by a Donetsk sham court (Rossiya 1/east2west news)

He said: “I like the way the DPR is performing their international obligations.

“As I was told…the shooting will be performed with a British weapon, and a British bullet.

“And then this bullet will be sent to the British relatives who will be made to pay for it. In roubles…converting from pounds.”

Kremlin-loyalist TV anchor Yevgeny Popov intervened to say this was “a mockery”.

Zhuravlyov said he had "no sympathy" for the condemned soldiers (Rossiya 1/east2west news)

The hardline MP hit back: “Why mockery? No mockery, we need just to finish these bastards off.

“Without any negotiations. No need even to mock them. I saw what they are doing with my own eyes, personally so I have no mercy for them.

“All those b******s who came here from Britain must be eliminated. Do you want them to be liquidated with your British weapon?

Aiden Aslin is among the men sentenced to death for their involvement in Ukraine (facebook/ EAST2WEST NEWS)

“They will be eliminated with a British weapon.

“The DPR and LPR [Luhansk People’s Republic] have sufficient captured trophies.

“So when the [West] send mercenaries here, they must understand clearly, where they go.”

The condemned men are said to have admitted "training in order to carry out terrorist activities".

The UK Government is seeking their release with the possibility of a prisoner swap put forward.

The nationalist MP mocked the condemned Brits (Rossiya 1/east2west news)

Mr Aslin's family previously said in a statement: "We've heard the news from Donetsk and need some time to take everything in.

"We love Aiden with all our hearts. He and Shaun, as members of Ukrainian armed forces, should be treated with respect just like any other prisoners of war.

"They are not, and never were, mercenaries.

Shaun Pinner stared at the ground as the sentence was read (Rossiya 1/east2west news)

"We hope that this sentence will be overturned and beseech the government's of the UK and Ukraine to do everything in their power to have them returned to us safely, and soon."

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