British Prisoners of war (POWs) sit in a flight following their release from Russian captivity after fighting for Ukraine, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in this screen grab of a video obtained from social media. Instagram/cossackgundi/via Reuters
London: Five British prisoners of war released by Russia as part of an exchange with Ukraine have arrived back in Britain and are looking forward to spending time with their families, non-profit organisation Presidium Network said on Thursday.
The five are Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner, John Harding, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill.
"Presidium Network is pleased that the five British Nationals are back safely and thankful for all parties who have helped bring them back," the organisation said in a statement.
"We know that all... (are) looking forward to normality with their families after this horrific ordeal."
Presidium Network does relief work in Ukraine, including help with evacuations.
Aslin and Pinner were captured by Russian-backed forces in Ukraine's coastal city of Mariupol in April and were sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, one of Russia's proxies in eastern Ukraine.
They, along with Moroccan Brahim Saadoun, were found guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order of the DPR" -- a sentence condemned by Ukraine and Britain.
Healy, a Briton providing humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, was detained in April alongside Paul Urey, who later died in detention. Harding and Hill had been fighting alongside Ukrainian forces and all three had denied being mercenaries in the Russian proxy court.
