14 2GM Saturday June 11 2022 | the times
News
the Ukrainian ambassador, who
pledged that Ukraine would do all it can
to prioritise a prisoner swap.” Richard
Fuller, MP for North East Bedfordshire,
said he had spoken to Pinner’s mother
and stepfather.
6 President Zelensky told British uni-
versity students yesterday that Ukraine
would not “concede” territory to
Russia. He urged members of Ukraini-Boris Johnson said yesterday that he
would order ministers to do “every-
thing in their power” to ensure the
release of two Britons facing death
sentences after fighting for Ukraine.
The prime minister condemned the
“sham” trial after Aiden Aslin, 28, and
Shaun Pinner, 48, were sentenced by a
Russian proxy court to death by firing
squad. Diana Okovyta, Aslin’s fiancée,
appealed for his safe return.
Aslin and Pinner, a British Army
veteran, were convicted on
charges of terrorism in a
court in the Russian-oc-
cupied Donetsk region,
along with Brahim
Saadoun, a Moroccan,
after a “show trial”.
They were captured
in Mariupol in April.
Aslin, a former care
worker from Newark,
has been living in
Ukraine since 2018 and his
fiancée is Ukrainian. Pinner,
from Bedfordshire, moved to
Ukraine four years ago and has a
Ukrainian wife. Both were members of
Ukrainian army units who had sworn
an oath in 2018 to defend the country
but were accused by Russia of being
mercenaries. No 10 said: “The prime
minister was appalled at the sentencing
of these men.”
Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, said
she had discussed with Dmytro Kuleba,
her counterpart in Ukraine, “efforts to
secure the release of prisoners of war
held by Russian proxies”. Foreign
Fight to save Britons from firing squad
Office officials have stressed that
Ukraine must take the lead in securing
the men’s release because they were
members of the Ukrainian army.
There are fears that making their
case an issue between the UK and
Russia would assist Moscow in claim-
ing that the men were “mercenaries”
who were not entitled to protection
under international law.
The Kremlin indicated that it was un-
willing to consider a reprieve, saying
the men had “committed crimes” and
describing Truss and the UK’s efforts as
“hysterical”. Sergey Lavrov, the
Russian foreign minister,
said their trial was “held
on the basis of the legis-
lation of the Donetsk
People’s Republic,
because the crimes in
question were com-
mitted on the DPR’s
territory”. Russia is the
only member of the
United Nations that rec-
ognises the entire Ukraini-
an province of Donetsk as the
independent DPR.
Okovyta, Aslin’s fiancée, who trav-
elled to London, wrote on social media:
“How I wish you knew you aren’t for-
gotten, you’re not alone, you are not
abandoned and will not be forsaken.”
His family and friends said Aslin,
whose great grandfather was a com-
mando decorated in the Second World
War, was serving with Ukraine’s 36th
Marine Brigade. They both fought in
Syria against the Assad regime. Robert
Jenrick, the MP for Newark, Aslin’s
former constituency, said: “I met withFariha Karim
Aiden Aslin’s fiancée, Diana Okovyta, pleaded for his safety. Far left: Shaun Pinnerted on
in a
c-
,n
his
Pinner,
moved to
dhhysterical
Russian
said
on
lat
P
b
q
m
te
onl
UUnit
ognise
an provin
iiindependent D
Ok t Alian societies at Birmingham, Coventry,
London, Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow
and Manchester to help to rebuild his
country once victory was assured. The
president told Ukrainian students
studying abroad that the country had
lost many “smart people”. He urged
them to return, saying: “I can’t build a
comfortable state for you without you.”
Give us weapons and we’ll win, page 45Search on for
EuroMillions
£55m winner
One UK ticketholder has won almost
£55 million with the EuroMillions
jackpot, Camelot has said.
Camelot, the National Lottery
operator, has urged people to check
their tickets.
The winning EuroMillions numbers
in last night’s draw were 17, 26, 36, 37, 40
and the Lucky Star numbers were 09
and 12. The ticket-holder will have
matched all seven numbers to scoop
£54,957,242.50.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser
at the National Lottery, said: “What a
brilliant night for one UK ticketholder
who has scooped the amazing
£54 million EuroMillions jackpot.
“Thanks to National Lottery players,
over £1.2 billion has been distributed to
date across the UK to help tackle the
impact of coronavirus.”
No one matched all five Euro-
Millions numbers and one Lucky Star
number. But two ticketholders have
matched all five numbers to win almost
£28,000.
The winners of the biggest Euro-
Millions pot, Joe and Jess Thwaites,
scooped £184 million last month.
Joe Thwaites, 49, said his dream car
was a Skoda Superb estate but a used
Volvo has been spotted rolling into
their driveway of their £650,000 home
in Corse, Gloucestershire, which is
being renovated. After going public
with their win, Mr Thwaite admitted
that he was “not a great car person”.