Two more British detainees by Russian representatives in eastern Ukraine have been accused of fighting as mercenaries, Russian state media have reported, indicating that they could face the death penalty in a likely attempt to pressure Western countries so that they reach an agreement for their freedom.
The British Andrew Hill of Plymouth and Dylan Healy of Huntingdon were also reported to have been charged with “forced seizure of power” and “terrorist” training, according to a Russian-controlled state news agency in Donetsk. The report was sent to an anonymous official and has not been confirmed.
Two Britons and a Moroccan were sentenced to death on the same charges by authorities in Russia-controlled Donetsk last month. There is no set date for the execution of the sentences, and at least two of the men appeal against the sentence.
Hill, who was identified as the father of four children from Plymouth, has been featured on Russian television in several clips, including one that aired last month with the headline: “Exclusive, before the execution.”
In the clip, he appeared to have been informed that he could face criminal charges, saying he was “detained here as an alleged mercenary”.
Hill, who is said to have previously served in the Lancaster regiment of the British Army, first appeared on Russian television after his capture in late April. In the video, the 35-year-old man appeared to be seriously injured, with his head bandaged and his left arm embedded and supported by a sling.
“I want to go home, to my land, to my family, to my children,” he said in the recent clip, which appeared to have been filmed under duress. “I just want to go home. I’ll tell them the truth.”
The other man, Dylan Healy, is said to have worked in Ukraine as a humanitarian aid volunteer. He and another Briton, Paul Urey, were reportedly detained near Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine while driving to help a woman and two children evacuate.
He was said to have worked in Ukraine independently of any major aid organization. A friend told ITV that he believed Healy had gone to Ukraine to “try to help and make a difference.”
The men’s background is likely to have little influence on the outcome of a trial, which is being held in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a substitute government recognized only by Russia and Syria.
At the previous trial, the three men were convicted of fighting as mercenaries despite being enlisted soldiers in the 36th Marine Brigade and entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions.
The Russian government has said it is also planning a larger court for Ukrainian soldiers captured at Azovstal Steel in Mariupol.