London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 21, 2026

Captured Briton John Harding appears in video in Ukraine

Captured Briton John Harding appears in video in Ukraine

A British man has been shown in a video appealing for help from Boris Johnson, while appearing to be held captive by pro-Russian separatists in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine.
John Harding, who is in his fifties and originally from Sunderland, is being interviewed by a Russian TV presenter.

In the video he says he could face the death penalty.

The Foreign Office said it was concerned by his detention.

It understood Mr Harding was captured in May when Ukrainian units he was fighting with at the Azovstal steelworks were forced to surrender. The units had been defending the south-eastern city of Mariupol at the time.

The video says he was part of the Azov regiment. Mr Harding had told friends he was fighting as part of the Ukrainian National Guard.

Friends and family of Mr Harding have confirmed to the BBC it was him in the video, and his family are being supported by the Foreign Office.

He had been fighting in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region since 2018. He previously told the BBC he had travelled there to use his skills as a combat medic, to help in the fight against pro-Russian rebels.

Two other British men, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who were also captured in Mariupol, have been sentenced to death by a Russian proxy court in the DPR.

Both they and Mr Harding had moved to Ukraine around the same time and made the country their home.

The DPR court is not internationally recognised. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has called the death sentences a "sham judgement with absolutely no legitimacy".

The UK government has said they should be treated as prisoners of war under the laws laid out in the Geneva Conventions.

This week Paul Urey, a British aid worker, died while being held by pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine. Officials from the DPR said he died in captivity on 10 July from underlying health conditions and "stress".

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of a British national and are concerned by his detention.

"We condemn the exploitation of detainees for political purposes and have raised this with Russia. We are in constant contact with the government of Ukraine on their cases and are fully supportive of Ukraine in its efforts to get them released."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Tightens Procurement Rules to Prioritise National Security and Supply Chain Resilience
National Drought Group Reviews Water Supply Risks After Dry Spring and Ongoing Heatwave
Andy Burnham Faces Leadership Speculation After Weak Local Election Results for Labour
Charity Commission Appoints Interim Managers to Barnabas Aid Amid Financial Investigation
Government Awards £27 Million Leonardo UK Contract to Maintain Military Aircraft Fleet
Environment Agency Suspends Chichester Waste Site Permit Over Fire and Pollution Risks
Border Force Seizes Record Cannabis Shipment in Major UK Criminal Network Disruption
Lloyds Banking Group to Hire 300 Artificial Intelligence Specialists in Digital Expansion Push
UK Government Introduces Alcohol Monitoring Tags for 7,000 Offenders Ahead of Summer Sporting Season
Resident Doctors in England Prepare Vote on Government Pay and Working Conditions Offer
Police Scotland Investigates Suspected Anti-Muslim Attacks in Edinburgh Following Arrest
Met Office Issues Rare Amber Extreme Heat Warning Across Southern and Eastern England
UK Government Unveils Digital Homebuying Reforms to Cut Costs and Speed Up Property Transactions
Train Driver Dies and 89 Injured in Rail Collision Near Bedford as Safety Investigation Begins
Long-Term Economic and Political Effects of Brexit Continue to Shape UK Policymaking
Digital Disinformation Emerges as a Growing National Security Challenge in the United Kingdom
Britain's Dependence on Global Energy Routes Drives Push for More Resilient Supply Chains
Rising Energy Costs Continue to Threaten Britain's Cost-of-Living Recovery
Concerns Grow Over Far-Right Organizing and AI-Driven Online Radicalization in Britain
UK-Led Global Partnerships Conference Calls for Reform of International Development Finance
Middle East Tensions Continue to Weigh on UK Business Confidence
Reports of Middle East Peace Deal Ease Pressure on UK Energy Prices
UK Warns Middle East Conflict Could Worsen Global Food Insecurity
UK Economy Loses Momentum After Strong Start to 2026
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% Despite Easing Inflation
Brexit's Legacy Remains Deeply Divisive Ten Years After the UK Voted to Leave the European Union
International Anti-War Conference Opens in London as Debate Over European Rearmament Intensifies
UK Health Authorities Introduce Drug Price Concessions Amid Record NHS Medicine Shortages
Sir David Attenborough Supports Sherwood Forest Conservation Efforts After Loss of Major Oak
Aardman Animations Marks 50 Years With Major Exhibition in Bristol
Drax Cleared After Investigation Into Wood Pellet Sourcing Practices
Jaguar Land Rover Shifts Toward Hybrid Vehicle Production for US Export Strategy
UK Police Arrest Liberal Democrat MP Cameron Thomas on Suspicion of Assault
Health Concerns Grow Over Elevated Kidney Cancer Rates Near Lancashire PFAS Factory
Royal Navy F-35 Jets Conduct First NATO Air Warfare Exercise from Finnish Airspace
UK NHS Issues Price Concessions for Medicines Amid Severe Drug Shortages
Heathrow Third Runway Project Faces Sharp Downward Revision in Expected Economic Benefits
Amber Heat Warning Issued Across Parts of England and Wales as Temperatures Rise
Train Collision Near Bedford Disrupts UK Rail Network and Leaves Multiple Injured
Bank of England Data Suggests Brexit Has Reduced UK Economic Output by Around Six Percent
UK Borrowing Costs Hold Near 4.8 Percent as Political Uncertainty Fuels Market Pressure
Andy Burnham Emerges as Front-Runner to Succeed Keir Starmer After Landslide Makerfield Victory
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Mounting Pressure to Resign After Labour By-Election Defeat in Makerfield
Payment Fraud Losses Reach £1.28 Billion and Raise National Security Concerns
Lending to Small Businesses Climbs to Highest Level Since Late 2024
Middle East Conflict Clouds UK Economic Recovery Despite Strong First-Quarter Growth
Bank of England Moves to Simplify Capital Rules for Smaller Lenders
UK Government Fast-Tracks National Security and Cyber Resilience Legislation
Ofcom Investigates Telegram Over Alleged Role in Organising Arson Attacks
MPs Press Fujitsu to Speed Compensation for Post Office Horizon Victims
×