Two British fighters captured by Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine have appeared on Russian television pleading to be freed.

It is unclear how freely Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin were able to speak. 

But appearing on state TV on Monday, the pair asked to be exchanged for pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who is being held by the Ukrainian authorities.

Both spoke separately after being prompted by an unidentified man on the Rossiya 24 channel.

Mr Pinner and Mr Aslin had been fighting on the Ukrainian side in Mariupol, which is now almost entirely under Russian control and expected to fall imminently.

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