Western Soldiers Treatment in Russian Prisons Revealed by U.K. Fighter

A U.K. soldier has shared the treatment Western combatants face in prisons after being captured in Ukraine by Russian forces.

Aiden Aslin, 28, revealed a Russian captor told him his death could either be "quick or beautiful" and said he was treated "worse than a dog."

Aislin told Britain's Sun on Sunday that he was forced to sing the Russian national anthem, beaten, and even stabbed during his five months in the hands of his captors.

The British soldier was one of the thousands of foreign fighters in Ukraine. According to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuela some 20,000 people from 52 countries volunteered to fight against Russia following the outbreak of the war.

Aslin was captured following the siege of Mariupol in April and was later taken to the separatist Donetsk region. There he claimed to have been held in a 4ft by 6ft cell that was infested with cockroaches and lice.

In the interview, Aislin said his captors soon learned he was not Ukrainian after they checked his passport after he was captured.

He told The Sun: "The soldier asked in Russian, 'where are you from?' I told him I was from Great Britain and he punched me in the face.

"They separated me from the others and began interviewing me in the back of an armored vehicle.

"I went to my commander and said, 'look, I'm going to be taken, they're probably going to kill me, I need you to tell my family when you get out, if you get out, that I love them."

Then he said he was repeatedly beaten during interrogation and was even threatened to have his ear cut off.

Aslin detailed an encounter with a captor and said: "He said, 'did you see what I did to you?' He pointed to my back. He showed me his knife and I realized he'd stabbed me.

"He then asked me, 'do you want a quick death or a beautiful death?' I replied in Russian, 'a quick death.' He smiled and said 'no, you're going to have a beautiful death…and I'm going to make sure it's a beautiful death.'"

Aslin was among ten Western nationals released as part of a prisoner exchange deal brokered by former Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich and Saudi Arabian officials.

Among the prisoners granted freedom were U.S. veterans Alex Drueke, 40, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama.

Drueke's aunt Dianna Shaw said in a statement sent to CBS 42: "We are thrilled to announce that Alex and Andy are free. They are safely in the custody of the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia and after medical checks and debriefing, they will return to the States.

"We deeply appreciate everyone's prayers and especially the close communication and support of our elected officials, Ukrainian Ambassador Marakrova and our members of the U.S. embassies in Ukraine and Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Department of State."

Newsweek has contacted the Department of State for comment.

Russia is ramping up its war effort after President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization decree of about 300,000 more troops.

Separatist regions in Ukraine have also started to vote in referendums to become part of Russia. The U.S. and many other nations have condemned the referendum and have refused to recognize it.