The horrified father of a British soldier captured by Russia has issued a devastating plea as he fears his son may be tortured by Vladimir Putin’s forces.
James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, can be seen kneeling with his hands tied in a shocking video posted to social media by Kremlin-linked sources.
The former communications specialist claims he was kicked out of the British Army before choosing to fight in Ukriane, but Russia’s foreign military intelligence agency (GRU) believe this to be a cover story given to him.
Footage of James’ capture was released over the weekend, and now his father Scott Anderson has spoken of his “complete shock” to learn of his son’s fate on the battlefield.
The father and son from Banbury, Oxfordshire spoke every day while he was acting as a signalman for Ukrainian forces, but this stopped during James’ most recent operation.
Scott told the Daily Mail: “I’m hoping he’ll be used as a bargaining chip but my son told me they torture their prisoners and I’m so frightened he’ll be tortured.”
In one of the videos released over the weekend, James can be heard describing the process that led him to joining Ukrainian forces in the war against Russia.
He said: “When I left, got fired from my job, I applied for the international legion. I’d lost everything, my dad was in prison, I’d seen it on the TV. It was a stupid idea.”
Scott revealed that James last came home a month and a half ago and said his commander would contact the family should he be killed or captured.
Scott contined: “When he called me and sent the video I was in complete shock and in tears. I could see straight away it was him. He looks frightened, scared and worried.
“I didn’t want him to go. I did try to persuade him not to go. My whole family tried to persuade him.
“He wanted to go out there because he thought he was doing what was right. He was dead against what was happening to the Ukrainian people.”
Scott said he had been contract by Foreign Office officials. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention.”
