A British man accused by Russia of fighting for Ukraine has been jailed for 19 years by a Russian military court.
James Scott Rhys Anderson was reportedly captured in Russia’s Kursk region last November, where Ukrainian forces had launched a cross-border incursion, and was charged with terrorism and mercenary activity.
The 22-year-old is the first British national to be convicted by Russia during the war.
A statement released by the Russian court claimed Mr Anderson had pleaded guilty but this cannot be verified, as he has not been heard from independently since he was taken.
The UK Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
When he was detained in November 2024, the UK government said it was “supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention”.
On Wednesday, a Russian military court ruled that Mr Anderson would spend the first five years of his sentence in prison before being transferred to a penal colony with “strict” conditions.
Russian investigators had accused him of “committing a terrorist act” as part of an organised group, illegally crossing the border into Russia, causing “significant damage to property” and having “destabilised” the activities of authorities.
His three-day trial was held behind closed doors. Video footage released by the Kursk court showed Mr Anderson being led into court in handcuffs wearing a winter hat and jacket that appeared to be prison uniform.
Reports of Mr Anderson’s capture first came to light after a video circulated online showing a man identifying himself while being captured. In anther video, he claimed to be a former British Army soldier.
While Mr Anderson is the first UK citizen accused of fighting for Ukraine to be captured and convicted by Russia, two British captives were sentenced to death in Russia-occupied Donetsk – however, they were later released in a prisoner exchange.
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