TheMalcontent

Russia-Ukraine Flash Report 11 JAN 2023 15:45 PST - Two British Nationals Killed Near Bakhmut

Added 2023-01-11 23:34:12 +0000 UTC

Credit goes to Malcontent, subscriber, and photographer Óskar Hallgrímsson who shared with us on January 7 that at least one British national had gone missing near Bakhmut, and there was likely a second person. The timing lined up during breakfast while on vacation and a short period of having a stable Internet connection. I wrote a brief tweet stating there was a preliminary report of one British national captured by Private Military Company Wagner Group. Given the team was on break and "trust but verify" I made the call to leave it at that - hence the use of the word preliminary and only confirming one person captured.

On January 9, the British Foreign Office confirmed that Christopher Perry and Andrew Begshaw were missing - both were volunteer aid workers who were working to move civilians out of Bakhmut. Perry had a reputation for taking unnecessary and excessive risks.

PMC Wagner has published the documentation for Perry and Begshaw, reporting both British nationals are dead, and Wagner has one body - based on the information we have - we believe that body is Perry's. Wagner claims they "found" the documentation and personal effects of the other (we presume this is Begshaw) but not his remains.

We have significant questions about the treatment of both men if they were captured alive, and how PMC Wagner came into possession of their documents and personal effects. Wagner doesn't take prisoners, foreigners are considered high-value targets, and there is an overall lack of discipline among penal units.

We express our sympathy to their families and believe both men died doing what they believed in.