British soldier captured by Russian forces to return to Ukraine 50 days after escaping death sentence

Aiden Aslin says he wants to go ‘home’ but will leave fighting behind him

A British soldier has revealed he will return to Ukraine less than two months after being freed from detention by Russian-backed separatists who sentenced him to death.

Aiden Aslin, 28, was captured by the Donetsk People’s Republic in April while fighting in the now-Russian-occupied city of Mariupol in the early days of the war.

He was spared death by firing squad due to a prisoner swap deal brokered by Saudi Arabia and ex-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, which allowed him and four other British nationals to return to the UK.