(MENAFN) After two British citizens were detained by Russian forces and charged with being mercenaries in Ukraine, the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom criticized the exploitation of prisoners of war and civilians.
According to Russian state media TASS, humanitarian worker Dylan Healy, 22, and military volunteer Andrew Hill have been accused with "mercenary operations" in the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The males, according to the publication, are refusing to assist with authorities.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is said to be investigating and assisting the men's families.
“We condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war and civilians for political purposes and have raised this with Russia,’’ the FCDO stated in a released announcement on Saturday.
“We are in constant contact with the government of Ukraine on their cases and are fully supportive of Ukraine in its efforts to get them released.”
It comes after a video aired on Russian television in April showed a man speaking with an English accent and claiming to be Andrew Hill from Plymouth.
MENAFN03072022000045011137ID1104471371
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.