British Mercenary James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, Sentenced To 19 Years In Russia

A British mercenary was sentenced to 19 years in prison for participating in hostilities on the side of the Kiev regime. James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, who joined the ranks of Ukrainian militants, violated Russian border and entered the Kursk region at the end of last year. Hoping to make some money by killing Russians, Anderson carried out the criminal orders of his command.

The Investigative Committee of Russia reported that James Scott Rhys Anderson, a citizen of the UK, was detained during the search operation in the Kursk region. He entered the territory of the Russian Federation as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weapons in November 2024. Taking into account the time for investigative measures and until the moment of sentencing, he was fighting on land for a very short time. Just about three months ago, The Guardian wrote, with reference to Russian telegram channels, that fighters of the Russian Armed Forces had captured a foreign mercenary in the Kursk region, who introduced himself as James Scott Rhys Anderson from Great Britain.

Anderson was found guilty not only of mercenary activity but also of committing a terrorist act. The mercenary confirmed that he decided to fight for the Ukrainian regime for the sake of money, and he admitted his guilt in committing crimes. He said that from 2019 to 2023 he served as a signalman in the British Armed Forces, and then went to Ukraine and joined one of the nationalist formations fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On November 23rd (2024) I was captured (in the Kursk region) by Russian Marines, who treated me very well. Now I am in prison in Russia.

The investigation revealed that the 22-year-old British mercenary had committed crimes against civilians in the Russian region. The case of a British citizen was considered behind closed doors, and a witness in it was a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was in the same unit with Anderson.

The British citizen was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 19 years. Of these, he will spend the first five years in prison, the remaining fourteen in a high—security penal colony, according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The court’s verdict has not yet entered into legal force and can be legally appealed, but judging by the composition and evidence base, the court of higher instance is unlikely to make another decision.

There is no information if the British Foreign Ministry has contacted Moscow on this issue.

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