A British former care worker who travelled to Ukraine to fight has been pictured for the first time since being captured by Russian forces.

Photos of Aiden Aslin, 28, were shared on a pro-Donetsk People’s Republic Telegram account after he was captured in the besieged city of Mariupol. As you can see, they’ve done a number on him. Looks like they maybe bashed him in the forehead with the butt of a rifle…

In a Telegram post, the account sharing Aiden’s pictures said:

And here is a real English boy from the Ukrainian Marine Brigade, whom I wrote about yesterday and who, like the rest, chose life and the opportunity to see the Queen again.

I think that last part sounds promising? No one knows what the Russians have planned for Aiden but it’s likely he’ll be used for a prisoner exchange eventually, and used by Putin as propaganda until then.

As per Metro, Nottinghamshire boy Aiden surrendered after his unit ran out of food and ammunition. He was serving with the 39th Brigade Ukrainian Marines, and had previously fought alongside Kurdish armed units against ISIS in Syria between 2015 and 2016. Speaking to a friend in the UK just before he and his unit were captured, Aiden said:

“It’s been 48 days. We tried our best to defend Mariupol but we have no choice but to surrender to Russian forces.

We have no food and no ammunition. It’s been a pleasure everyone, I hope this war ends soon.”

Dual-national Aiden moved to Ukraine in 2018 after falling in love with a woman from Mykolaiv, who is now his fiancée. Let’s hope he finds his way home safe and well, whether that’s by rescue from the same people who left him short on food and ammunition, or as part of a prisoner exchange which seems to be the likely outcome. Hopefully it doesn’t take too long. Stay strong, Aiden!

Meanwhile, Steven Segal has pledged to stand by his Russians allies ‘through thick and thin’. What is up with that guy?