British soldier captured in Russia amid Ukraine war tensions

According to the New York Times, this is the first instance since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine that a soldier from a Western country has been detained on Russian territory. Russian media refer to Anderson as a "British mercenary" from a battalion of approximately 500 Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian military activities have been underway since August.

Currently, Ukrainian forces are repelling a counterattack by Russian troops, likely supported by soldiers from North Korea.

A video posted online shows a man in uniform identifying himself as Anderson. He says that from 2019 to 2023, he served as a private in the British Army. He explains that he joined the legion after losing his job and watching war coverage in Ukraine on television. He adds that he flew from Luton to Krakow and then took a bus to the Ukrainian border.

The BBC reports that the British Foreign Office is "supporting the Briton's family regarding reports of his detention." James's father, Scott Anderson, confirmed the authenticity of the video in an interview with the Daily Mail and expressed concern that his son may be tortured by Russian authorities. He noted that he had daily contact with his son as recently as last week when James was in the Ukrainian Sumy region near the Russian border.

The New York Times reports that Russian investigators will likely charge Anderson with being a mercenary and illegal participation in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, for which he faces up to 15 years in prison.