Russian forces have reportedly captured a British citizen who was fighting with the Ukrainian International Legion near the Kursk region, according to Russian state media.
Two videos, first appearing on Russian Telegram channels, show a young, bearded man in military fatigues with his hands tied. He identifies himself in English as James Scott Rhys Anderson, a 22-year-old former British soldier who served as a signalman in the British Army from 2019 to 2023. Anderson claims to have joined the Ukrainian International Legion eight months ago after traveling through Poland to the Ukrainian border.
Another innocent foreign mercenary caught unawares
🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇦🇬🇧🏳️ „Kursk, Russia – British mercenary, James Scott Rhys Anderson, was captured.“https://t.co/c5TGnFDw9t pic.twitter.com/YXw59WvKhz
— Anam Cara (@AnamOxana) November 25, 2024
Russian state media outlets RIA Novosti and TASS reported Anderson’s capture, describing him as a mercenary. According to TASS, he was taken near Plekhovo, a village in Russia’s Kursk region. The exact circumstances of his capture remain unclear.
The British Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting Anderson’s family. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speaking from G7 talks in Italy, said: “We will do all that we can to offer this U.K. national all the support we can.”
Anderson’s father, Scott Anderson, confirmed his son’s identity after seeing the videos and being contacted by his son’s Ukrainian commander.
If verified, Anderson’s capture marks the first known case of a Western national being taken prisoner inside Russian territory since the war began. Russia traditionally labels foreign fighters in Ukraine as mercenaries, denying them protections under the Geneva Conventions. Past cases involving captured Western volunteers have included sentences by proxy courts and prolonged negotiations for their release.
