Ukraine war: Mum of Aiden Aslin thought son's release 'would never happen'

Aiden Aslin and his mother, Angela Wood, after being reunited

The mother of a British man who has returned to the UK following his release by Russia has said she "thought this day would never happen".

Aiden Aslin was reunited with his family on Thursday after being detained for months following his capture by Russian-backed forces in Ukraine.

Mr Aslin's mother, Angela Wood, said she was "elated" her son was now back home in Nottinghamshire.

"It still doesn't feel real now," Ms Wood said.

A total of 10 foreign detainees were released on Wednesday evening after Saudi Arabia said it had brokered an exchange between Russia and Ukraine.

Mr Aslin and four other Britons - John Harding, Dylan Healy, Andrew Hill and Shaun Pinner - were among them. They have now been reunited with their families after touching down at Heathrow Airport on Thursday morning.

Paul Urey, who was captured alongside Mr Healy by Russian-backed forces in April, died in detention in July.

Speaking from her home in Newark, Ms Wood told the BBC she only found out about her son's release on Wednesday morning when she received a call from the Foreign Office, adding: "I thought this day would never happen.

"His release happened overnight, I'm still in shock.

"The first thing I needed to do was to give him a big hug and make sure it was real. It still doesn't feel real now."

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Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, surrounding the capital Kyiv and launching attacks in the south, east and north of the country.

Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner were captured in the country in the coastal city of Mariupol two months later in April and were sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Even as recently as Tuesday, a day before their release, rumours on social media began circulating that the death sentence the two prisoners had been facing had been carried out.

At times, Ms Wood says she was contacted by the Russian separatists who were holding Aiden and was asked for money.

"They put me and my family through nearly six months of pure hell, of blackmail and propaganda," she said.

"The death sentence was a big part of the emotional stress and torture for our family. At times, I never thought I would see him alive again."

Angela Wood giving her son, Aiden Aslin, a hug following his return to the UK

His mother said some of the details about Mr Aslin's time in captivity have horrified her, explaining that he will need time to recover from the ordeal.

"The way he was treated whilst in captivity was inhumane, and against the Geneva conventions," she said.

"Aiden is okay, but he will need time to adjust."

Ms Wood added that it was extremely difficult to watch as her son was shown on Russian state television.

"He was being used for propaganda purposes, I'm so glad there will now be no more of that," she said.

"Watching the propaganda videos was horrific, we knew it was all lies."

Mr Aslin has also been reunited with his Ukrainian fiancée, Diana Okovyta - who shared a photo of the couple together taken shortly after he arrived back to the UK.

Diana Okovyta and Aiden Aslin shortly after he arrived back in the UK

Ms Wood thanked the Saudi Crown Prince, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his successor, Liz Truss, Newark MP Robert Jenrick, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

"We as a family are really happy he is home safe and out of danger," she said.

"Aiden will always be a hero to me. I'm very proud of him for defending Ukraine against Putin, and this war, which is Putin's war."

She added that her son loved Ukraine and its people and was now focused on "rebuilding his life" with his fiancée.

Additional reporting by James Gregory.