Two British nationals whom Russia claims were arrested while fighting Ukrainian forces in Mariupol have appeared in a video that aired on Russian state television on Monday. In the video, the two men demanded their release in exchange for pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested last week by Ukrainian forces. At about the same time on Monday, Ukraine’s intelligence service released Medvedchuk’s footage urging Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to exchange him with “Mariupol defenders” and “residents there today”. and they do not have the opportunity to leave safely through a humanitarian corridor. “ Duel videos from Russia and Ukraine have raised questions about the treatment of prisoners and prisoners of war almost two months after the conflict. They also hinted that both sides could prepare the ground for a possible exchange. It was not clear how freely Medvedchuk, 67, or the two British nationals, Shaun Pinner, 48, and Aiden Aslin, 28, spoke in the videos, which appeared to be being filmed in custody. Piner and Aslin spoke separately in the video, in which they asked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to work on an exchange. At some point, they seemed to be motivated by an unknown man. “I understand that Mr Medvedchuk has been taken into custody and we are looking to exchange me and Aiden Aslin for Mr Medvedchuk,” Pinner said. “Obviously, I would greatly appreciate your help in this matter and in advancing this agenda.” Russia has previously said it is not interested in exchanging money because Medvedchuk is not a Russian citizen. He previously led the pro-Russian Opposition Party – For Life and is one of the richest people in Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities announced last week that he had been arrested while trying to flee the country after escaping from house arrest. He was arrested last year on charges of treason and terrorist financing, which he denies. Who is Viktor Medvedchuk, the pro-Russian tycoon arrested in Ukraine? Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Ukraine to stop publishing images and videos of captured Russian soldiers, some of whom were recorded while under interrogation. According to the Geneva Conventions governing the laws of war, prisoners must be treated humanely and must not be subjected to humiliating or degrading treatment. In a statement Monday, Piner’s family said they hoped the two men would return home soon and were working with the British Foreign Office and Aslin’s relatives to ensure their rights were respected. “We would like to make it clear that he is not a volunteer or a mercenary, but is officially serving in the Ukrainian army in accordance with Ukrainian law,” the Guardian quoted the British newspaper as saying. Piner moved to Ukraine in 2018 and considered it his adopted country, according to the family. He married a Ukrainian and served as a Marine. The surrendered Briton who fights with Ukraine seems to appear on the Russian show Ashlin joined the Ukrainian Marines in 2018 and served in the 36th Marine Brigade in Mariupol, a key battlefield in southeastern Ukraine, Brennan Phillips’s friend told the Washington Post last week. The first video of Aslin in captivity appeared last week and was also shown on Russian television. She showed him in handcuffs and with a bruise on his head. Pamela Hall’s grandmother told the BBC: “I never expected that. I thought that if the worst got to the worst, Aiden would die fighting. “Obviously, I did not want that – I wanted the war to end and for his fiancée to go home.” I am working with @FCDOGovUK to monitor where he is and secure the release of my voter, Aiden Aslin. Aiden chose to risk his life because he passionately believes in the right of the Ukrainian people to live in freedom and democracy. https://t.co/kAv84mH1Wc – Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) April 13, 2022 Russian footage showing two British captives could also put pressure on Johnson to intervene. Relations between Britain and Russia have been frozen for years, but have deteriorated significantly since the Moscow invasion of Ukraine. Johnson has emerged as a key ally of Kiev, where he paid a surprise visit earlier this month, walking the streets of the city with Zelensky. On Saturday, Moscow barred Johnson and other senior British politicians from entering Russia over what he called Britain’s “unprecedented hostility” over the war in Ukraine.