Ally Vladimir Putin says Britain is ‘arrogant’ over two Brits’ death sentence

The British surrendered to the troops of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic in Mariupol and have since been sentenced to be shot by firing squad by a court in the rebel region

An ally of Vladimir Putin has accused Britain of being “arrogant” over the death penalty against two Britons.

The Russian President’s Ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, announced that Boris Johnson’s government had appealed to Moscow about Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48.

The men surrendered to the so-called armed forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic in Mariupol and have since been sentenced to be shot by firing squad by a court in the rebel region.

The two have been given a month to appeal and the opportunity to seek a pardon from a pro-Putin rebel leader, who has said he sees no reason for a pardon.

Kelin was quoted by Russian state TV presenter Olga Skabeyeva as saying: “As for these two young people who are mercenaries who fought against Donetsk as part of the Ukrainian army, I can say that there was a call from the British to us .

“You sent a message.

“But it was composed exclusively in a haughty and instructive way.”

He claimed Britain “did not wish to interfere in these matters”.

The envoy did not give any further details.

A third British prisoner, Andrew Hill, 35, a father of four from Plymouth, has also been warned to face the death penalty if his sentence is announced.

Laws in the DPR allow a pardon request to the rebel region’s pro-Putin leader Denis Pushilin.

He forestalled the court case by saying he saw no reason to grant a pardon.