A British man held captive in Russia complained about the lack of assistance from his government

Hayden Davies, a British national who served in the Ukrainian International Legion and was later taken prisoner by the Russians, has stated that the British government is not providing him with any assistance. 

He wrote about this in letters to the BBC.

According to Davis, during combat operations in Ukraine, he suffered a serious leg injury, lost a comrade, and was left without means of communication.

“I had to decide: lie there and die, or take action. I crawled 150 meters to reach a place I knew. It took a whole day. […] I reached a ruined house with a basement and decided to stay there. Fortunately, there were plenty of canned goods,” he said.

The soldier claims he tried to treat himself by applying a makeshift splint made of wood, but the injury was critical—according to him, the bone was visible. He says he lived in the basement for about two months before Russian soldiers found him.

After that, Davis spent about a year in Russian captivity and was later sentenced to 13 years in prison in occupied Donetsk on charges of “mercenary activity.” Last week, he said, a court in Moscow added two more years to his sentence, calling the original term too lenient.

In letters to journalists, he stated that he feels abandoned:

“I served my country for 12 years in the [British] army, and now, when I need help and medical treatment, no one wants to know. It’s a disgrace!”

A source close to Davis told the BBC that he is not receiving medical care for his injured leg, and that British officials have reportedly not been in contact with his lawyers in Russia.

Activist Anastasia Shevchenko, who works on issues related to prisoners of war, also told the BBC that she had informed the British side about Davis’s detention through diplomatic channels.

At the same time, the BBC notes that British representatives often do not have access to individuals detained in Russia and cannot visit the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Earlier, Russia’s Second Western District Military Court sentenced a 39-year-old Ukrainian citizen to 25 years in prison in a case involving alleged sabotage in the Moscow region. According to the Russian side, the man was accused of planning and carrying out sabotage, but he pleaded not guilty and stated in court that he had given his previous testimony under pressure and torture.