For the first time, a British hero captured by Russian soldiers while fighting for Ukraine has been photographed in captivity.

A pro-Donetsk People’s Republic Telegram user posted Aiden Aslin’s photo.

The 27-year-old former care worker, who has been fighting with the Ukrainian marines since 2018, was photographed with wounds on his face and his hands cuffed.

A huge cut and a crimson mark on his forehead suggest that he was struck with a blunt item like a rifle butt.

The image was sent via a message from Aslin’s Twitter account, which has around 67k followers.

“Just got this, it appears they have gotten ahold of Aiden,” stated the tweet.

In reference to his injuries, it was stated that his kidnappers looked to “have worked him over as well from the looks of it.”

“We’re going to keep him in the public eye every day until he’s swapped,” the message said.

Another image of Aslin, this time with the cut to his forehead plainly visible, was published by a Telegram user that promotes the pro-Russian separatist Donetsk People’s Republic.

“And here is a real English guy from the Ukrainian Marine Brigade, whom I spoke about yesterday and who, like the rest, chose life and the chance to see the Queen again,” the account stated in a gloating post.

“That’s who you should look up to in terms of other Ukrainian troops. Become an aristocracy as well.”

It is unknown where he is being detained, but his unit was forced to surrender to Russian forces earlier this week in the beleaguered city of Mariupol.

Aiden from Newark, Nottinghamshire, who was serving with the 39th Brigade Ukrainian Marines and had previously battled ISIS in Syria, claimed they had no choice.

He will most likely be exploited for propaganda by Vladimir Putin’s ruthless administration, although he may be released as part of a prisoner swap.

Aiden’s grandma, Pam Hull, told The Sun she was “shocked and very heartbroken” to see the images of her grandchild.

She further disputed that he was a “mercenary” and called Ukraine “his adoptive nation.”

“He’s been in their military for four years and his service was set to expire this year,” she explained.

She went on to say that he had fallen in love “with a Ukrainian woman, and they are about to marry.”

Pam said, “It’s really difficult for his mother and everyone of his family to see photographs like this and hear the lies being spoken about him.”

“He’s a brave young man with a nice heart, and we’re all extremely proud of him.”

Aiden informed a UK-based friend in a hurried discussion before he and his unit were kidnapped as POWs: “It’s been 48 days.

“We did everything we could to protect Mariupol, but we had no alternative but to surrender to Russian soldiers.”

“We have no food and no ammo,” he continued. Everyone, it’s been a joy, and I hope this conflict ends soon.”

In another conversation to a friend in the United States, he stated that he had been pursued by the Russian authorities since the beginning of the conflict.

“They’re probably going to use me for bull**** propaganda,” he continued.

In the recorded call, he is asked whether he has any civilian clothes to disguise himself as a humanitarian relief worker, but he responds, “We tried that and it didn’t work.”

“They’re already hunting for me.”

“I’ve been trying for about three weeks.” It’s going to be a disaster.

“Our leader is about to talk with the Russians. We’ve practically ran out of bullets.”

On Wednesday, Russia claimed to have detained over 1,000 members of Aslin’s brigade.

The Azov regiment of Ukraine, which is also in Mariupol, later published a video of its own commander and that of the 36th, claiming that other members of the marine unit had been able to hook up with the Azov at a nearby steel mill.

Following an order from President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine said on Thursday that 30 POWs were being returned to the nation as part of the latest prisoner swap with Russia.

Aiden, also known as Cossack Gundi on social media, has posted a number of updates from the frontlines in Ukraine on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Aslin’s online activities and anti-Russian remarks comparing Putin’s forces to Orcs and Nazis drew death threats from far-right Wagner Group mercenaries, making him a ripe target, Aslin’s buddy Brennan Phillips said.

Phillips, a 36-year-old ex-military from the United States, trained Aslin to combat Islamic State extremists in Syria in 2015.

“I’m scared that he’ll be tortured, that he’ll be assassinated… that they’ll spin this as his being a foreign mercenary or part of a paramilitary organisation,” he told The Times.

“Any reason they can come up with to mistreat him.” That’s what worries me the most.”

Aslin’s mother, Ang Wood, told the BBC that her son had no option but to surrender.

“He contacted me and said they didn’t have any weapons left to fight with,” she explained. “I adore my son; he is my hero; they put up a great fight.”

She also urged Boris Johnson to “destroy Putin.”

Aslin’s fiancee said on Facebook after his capture: “My light fighter, my wonderful warrior! You will undoubtedly return. Because light always triumphs over darkness. And the darkest night is usually the night before dawn.”

Aslin is thought to have been fighting in his unit with two other British nationals, one of whom is said to be former serviceman Shaun Pinner.

A pro-Kremlin Telegram channel said earlier this month that a passport photocopy belonging to Pinner, 48, had been discovered amid the bones of “several annihilated Nazis.”

However, Aslin asserted that Pinner was still alive a few days later, adding, “Russians lie a lot.”