British aid worker’s body shows signs of ‘unspeakable torture’, Ukraine says

‘He was a brave man who dedicated himself to saving people’

Russia has returned the body of a British national and humanitarian aid worker with signs of “unspeakable” torture, according to Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister.

“Russians have returned the body of a British humanitarian worker Paul Urey whom they captured in April and reported dead due to ‘illnesses’ and ‘stress’ in July. With signs of possible unspeakable torture,” Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Thursday.

Urey was earlier reported dead in July by separatists from the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, who said his death in captivity was “due to illness and stress”.

Mr Kuleba reiterated that detaining and torturing civilians was “barbarism and a heinous war crime”.

“I express my deepest condolences to relatives and close ones of Paul Urey. He was a brave man who dedicated himself to saving people. Ukraine will never forget him and his deeds,” the minister added.

The Ukrainian minister vowed retribution and said Kyiv “will identify perpetrators of this crime and hold them to account”.

Ukraine won’t let the accused escape justice, he said.

Urey was a British national from Warrington, Cheshire and had been held by pro-Russian separatists in April along with another British independent worker Dylan Healey.

The 45-year-old was charged with “mercenary activities” by the DPR in July.

Daria Morozova, the ombudsperson of the separatists in the eastern Ukraine region, said officials from their side gave Urey the “necessary medical assistance despite the grave crimes he committed”.

Officials in the UK have said they have been informed of Urey’s torture while in Russian captivity.

“We are disturbed by reports that aid worker Paul Urey may have been tortured in detention. It is essential that we see the results of a full post-mortem as soon as possible,” a foreign office spokesperson said, reported Sky News.

“Our thoughts are with Paul Urey’s family at this distressing time,” the spokesperson added.

The then-foreign secretary Liz Truss had said she was “shocked” by the reports of Urey’s death in captivity and sought for the Kremlin to bear “full responsibility” for the death of the British national.

The humanitarian worker’s mother Linda Urey called the separatists “murderers” and asked “Why did you let him die?” after learning of his death.

Urey was detained at a checkpoint near the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia in April.

Britain had summoned the Russian ambassador to the UK to the foreign office and questioned the official over the circumstances leading to Urey’s death.

One of the last videos of Urey showed him in captivity after he was taken away from the south-east Ukrainian region.

In the video broadcast on Russian television, Urey was handcuffed and said he travelled to Ukraine because he did not believe how the British media portrayed the Russian invasion of Kyiv.

His mother, at the time of his capture, said he had gone despite her begging him to not go to a war zone.

Urey had told his mother he would not have been able to live with himself knowing people needed help and that he had to get them to a safe place.

The report of Urey’s remains showing torture has been condemned by the US.

“Inhumane and unacceptable! Russian war, terrorist tactics and brutal war crimes must be stoped! Russia and Russians must be brought to justice for all the crimes and brutality,” Ukrainian envoy to the US Oksana Markarova said on Thursday.

Urey and fellow volunteer Healey travelled to Ukraine of their own accord, nonprofit group Presidium Network said in April.

The two went missing while driving to help a woman and two children, they added.