This is popular front a podcast focused on the niche details of modern warfare and

underreported conflict with me Jake Hanrahan. Today we're speaking to the

international volunteer and soldier Aidan Aslan. Aidan is the British

fighter who was captured by the Russians in East Ukraine

spending many many months in captivity in the DNR the the next

people's republic the Russian-backed separatist enclave in the

Dombaste there in East Ukraine. Whilst in captivity he was tortured,

Aiden's going to tell us all about the situation giving a very specifically unique insight into what it was like for him being a prisoner.

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So, Aidan, welcome home.

Obviously we all know you were imprisoned by the Russians in the Russian-backed

separatist region, the DNR and Donutski's Ukraine.

Before that obviously we know you were a soldier. and on startup, signed up member of the Ukraine military.

So Aiden, tell us about the lead up and the capture.

Obviously, you were out there fighting already on the front

and then you were captured. Tell us about that.

So as everyone knew, well those who were following me at the time,

I was deployed in my battalion, the first Marine battalion of the First Marine Brigade.

We were deployed just basically 10 minutes down the road from Mary Uphur on the front line just around the Schrockano area and then just running up to the date of the invasion we've been put into standby like we've been given

information that something's happening I mean I mean if you turn the news on

like you knew something what's happening and obviously as well in the run up to that like the situation on the front line just deteriorated like I mean we still had our commitments to the ceasefire in place so we weren't able to like escalate on the mean on the other hand

...