Ex-British soldier jailed for 19 years in Russia for fighting for Ukraine

James Anderson will spend five years in prison before being transferred to a penal colony

In this photo, released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, a Russian "Grad" self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian positions in Kursk (AP)

A British man has been jailed for 19 years after being convicted of fighting for Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region.

James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, faced charges of terrorism and mercenary activities after being captured in November.

The Russian court said its decision followed a closed trial where a Ukrainian soldier from the same unit testified.

Anderson will serve the initial five years in prison, with the remainder of his sentence to be carried out in a penal colony, according to the court.

Ukrainian troops crossed the border into the Kursk region last August.

They have maintained a presence there despite Russian efforts to remove them.

Anderson was accused of illegally entering Kursk in November as part of an armed group, allegedly involved in unspecified “criminal acts against civilians”.

Russian state media released footage of Anderson in handcuffs and confined to a cage, a common sight for defendants in Russian court cases.

Following his capture, a pro-war Russian social media channel released an interrogation recording where Anderson stated he served in the British army from 2019 to 2023 before joining the foreign legion of Ukraine's armed forces, a decision he described as a “stupid idea”.

This image, made from a video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, shows Ukrainian forces capturing two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk

When Anderson was captured in November, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “We will do all we can to offer this UK national all the support we can.”

Anderson’s father Scott told the Daily Mail at the time he had begged his son not to go to Ukraine.

“He wanted to go out there because he thought he was doing what was right,” he said.

“I’m hoping he’ll be used as a bargaining chip, but my son told me they torture their prisoners and I’m so frightened he’ll be tortured.”

Scott said he had seen a video of his son, which left him “in complete shock and tears”.