A British man serving with Ukraine’s International Legion has been captured by Russian forces in the Kursk region, according to multiple reports.
In a video circulating on the Telegram channel Troyka, the man identifies himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson, a former British soldier.
The U.K. Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting Anderson’s family following the reports of his detention. Russian state news agency Tass also reported that a “mercenary from Britain” was taken prisoner in the Kursk area.
Anderson’s father, Scott, expressed his shock and concern, fearing his son might be tortured. “We spoke on WhatsApp almost every day until he went on his most recent operation,” Scott said, adding that his son had been working as a signalman.
This capture comes after Kyiv’s forces briefly took parts of Kursk in a historic offensive, marking the first Ukrainian military action into Russian territory since World War II. In response, Russia has enlisted North Korean soldiers to help repel the incursion, drawing condemnation from Ukraine’s Western allies.
