Abramovich ‘played key part’ in release of five British Pows
Former Chelsea owner gave men iphones and talked football on flight from Russia to Saudi Arabia
ROMAN ABRAMOVICH, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, joined five British prisoners of the war on their flight to safety after playing a “key part” in helping to free them from captivity in Russia.
The Russian, 55, welcomed John Harding, Shaun Pinner, Aiden Aslin, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill onto a jet flying them from Russia to Saudi Arabia.
He gave each of the men iphones so that they could call their families and talked football with them while they ate steaks on the flight to Riyadh.
Mr Harding, a British Army veteran, said he had not recognised the Russian billionaire on the plane until Mr Pinner, a West Ham fan, pointed him out.
Mr Harding told The Sun: “Shaun said, ‘You really look like Roman Abramovich’, and he replied, ‘That’s because I am him, sir’. He couldn’t believe it.
“I joked that Shaun is a West Ham fan and we all laughed.”
The 59-year-old who was taken prisoner in May, said he sat next to Mr Abramovich’s assistant on the flight who had explained how he helped secure their release. The father of two said: “She said Roman had played a key part in getting us back. It’s quite extraordinary to think he was involved – and I wouldn’t have even been able to tell you who he was by looking at him.
“He’s well respected by Ukrainians and massively by us now, too – he’s done a hell of a lot for us and we couldn’t thank him enough. He was a sound bloke, a really lovely guy. He’s a legend – we absolutely love him and I’m so grateful for his efforts.” Mr Abramovich has played the role of a go-between during the war, helping to organise peace talks in Istanbul in April.
In June, a Ukrainian official said he had helped negotiate humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol and other cities besieged by Moscow’s army.
Mr Abramovich’s involvement was disclosed as Mr Harding’s former Ukrainian commander described him as “one of the best representatives of his nation”.
Mamuka Mamulashvili, who led the Georgian Legion, a pro-ukrainian volunteer unit, made the comments about Mr Harding, who was one of five Britons released from captivity in a deal secured by Saudi Arabia.
Mr Mamulashvili singled out Mr Harding for his contribution to the legion, where he trained younger volunteers.
“He is one of the best representatives of his nation who came here to defend Ukraine and I give him my respect,” he said.
It is understood that the five Britons were set free alongside on Wednesday, landing here in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Mr Pinner and Mr Aslin also served in the Georgian Legion, according to Mr Mamulashvili.
“All those guys did their best to defend democracy and freedom,” he said. “They were in the Georgian Legion at approximately the same time... and they were perfect guys.
“It was very important for us to get those guys out of captivity because I’ve been in captivity myself and I know what it is.”
Mr Aslin, who was part of a group of 10 foreign detainees freed after Saudi Arabia brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine, made no direct mention of the UK as he told reporters: “I want to thank [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky and the Saudis and everyone else involved.”
Yesterday a video was published in which Mr Pinner, sitting with Mr Aslin in an aircraft, said that their release had been made “by the skin of our teeth”.
They also said that they were “now out of the danger zone and we’re on our way home to our families”. In July, a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic sentenced both men to death after they pleaded guilty to mercenary and terrorist activities.
Liz Truss, the Prime Minister, said the release of the five Britons had been secured by working with Ukrainian authorities and the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Presidium Network, a non-profit organisation which has been supporting the family of Mr Healy, said the men had landed “safely” in the UK and had been reunited with their families.