British volunteer soldier in Ukraine tells his story

NOTE: Unfortunately, this video of UK soldier Aiden Aslin’s testimony has succumbed to the war censorship we are all experiencing and has been deleted. A pity as he came across as a sensible person, admitting his mistake in fighting in Ukraine, describing the behaviour of the neo-Nazi Azov groups and warning of the folly of foreigners thinking of fighting in foreign wars as an adventure. I hope his appeal has at least got through the UK government.

Don’t know why Viktor Medvedchuk’s video has not suffered a similar fate.

We really need to find alternative means of posting videos and social comments to get around this widespread censorship.

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OK, this is a bit controversial as it is an interview of a surrendered combatant. Mind you he did personally ask for the interview (and specifically asked that fellow Brit Graham Phillips carry out the interview) as a chance to appeal for a prisoner exchange. He is technically a mercenary rather than a national soldier, so he may be subject to criminal prosecution rather than a normal prisoner exchange.

But Aiden Aslin does provide interesting information about the conflict in Ukraine and the character of the neo-Nazi Azov Batallion.

Not that the information is welcomed in the UK where a Tory MP demanded that the interviewer (UK independent journalist Graham Phillips) be prosecuted for war crimes and have his UK passport removed.

Looks like someone is unhappy about what Aiden reveals in his story.

To balance this interview here is a short video provided by the Ukrainian government of the appeal by the political prisoner Viktor Medvedchuk to be exchanged for prisoners of war.

Medvedchuk was the leader of the largest opposition party in Ukraine -the Opposition Platform – For Life party. He was arrested a year ago in May 2021, his party was made illegal, and his media networks closed down. His situation has become more critical recently and his wife, Oksana Marchenko, has appealed to the Ukrainian government for his release. A recent appeal by his wife to UK Prime Minister specifically suggested a prisoner exchange for the British mercenary soldiers Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner.

Unfortunately, Medvecdhuck’s video is very brief. He, like Aiden Aslin, would have an interesting story to tell but we are not going to get this from the Ukrainian government or its security agency who have him in custody.

The exchange of prisoners of war for political prisoners doesn’t seem quite kosher to me. But it’s been going in Ukraine ever since the war in Donbass started in 2014.